乱发 (luàn fā) — (verb-object) to mess up one's hair; (noun) mes…

Definition

A verb-object phrase (离合词): 'mess up one's own hair', or the noun 'messy hair'. Like other 离合词, an object or aspect marker (如乱了发) can split 乱 and 发.

verb

(verb-object) to mess up one's hair

noun

messy hair

乱发。
Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào luàn fā.
He messes up his hair every morning.
乱发。
Tā luàn fā de yàng zi hěn kě ài.
Her messy hair looks cute.
，。
Tā yīn wèi zháo jí, luàn le fā.
He messed up his hair because he was anxious.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

𤔔乚亂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

乚Written in full as乙yǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

𤔔

𤔔𤔔亂luàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

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.

Appears in