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激发 (jī fā) — to arouse, to stimulate (interest, creativity, potential, etc.); (physics) to excite (atoms, electrons)

Definition

激发 means to arouse or bring out something latent (interest, potential, creativity). Use it for actively triggering a response, unlike 刺激 which often implies provocation or irritation.

verb
to arouseto stimulate (interest, creativity, potential, etc.)(physics) to excite (atoms, electrons)

Examples

  • 激发。
    Zhèng fǔ chū tái xīn zhèng cè jī fā jīng jì huó lì.
    The government introduced new policies to stimulate economic vitality.
  • 激发。
    Zhè zhǒng yīn yuè néng gòu jī fā rén de qíng gǎn.
    This kind of music can arouse people's emotions.
  • 激发。
    Jī guāng kě yǐ jī fā yuán zǐ zhōng de diàn zǐ.
    Lasers can excite electrons in atoms.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

激jīstir
发fātrigger

激 and 发 both describe stirring and triggering, giving the sense of arousing.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo激jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Open 激 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract ConceptsScience (General)

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