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自发 (zì fā) — spontaneous

Definition

自发 describes a feeling or action that arises on its own from inside a person or group, without being planned or prompted. Compared to 主动 (deliberately taking the lead), 自发 is unplanned and natural.

adjective
spontaneous

Examples

  • 自发。
    Zhè cì juān kuǎn wán quán shì xué shēng zì fā de xíng wéi.
    This donation was entirely the students' spontaneous act.
  • 自发。
    Tā men zì fā dì zǔ zhī le yí cì huó dòng.
    They spontaneously organized an activity.
  • 自发。
    zì fā De xiǎng fǎ wǎng wǎng zuì zhēn shí.
    Spontaneous thoughts are often the most genuine.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

自zìby itself
发fāarise

自 ('by itself') and 发 ('arise') combine to mean arising on its own, hence spontaneous.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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