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发作 (fā zuò) — to flare up (of illness, temper); to break out (of problem, conflict, crisis)

Definition

发作 focuses on something negative that suddenly starts or returns — an illness, temper, or crisis acting up. Unlike 发生 ('happen' in general) or 爆发 (large-scale events erupting), 发作 is for a flare-up of something already present.

verb
to flare up (of illness, temper)to break out (of problem, conflict, crisis)

Examples

  • 发作。
    Tā de xīn zàng bìng yòu fā zuò le.
    His heart condition flared up again.
  • 发作。
    Bú yào ràng huài qíng xù fā zuò chū lái.
    Don't let bad emotions flare up.
  • 发作。
    Wēi jī suí shí kě néng fā zuò.
    The crisis could break out at any time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

发fāarise
作zuòrise

发 means to arise or break out, and 作 means to rise; together they describe an illness, temper, or problem suddenly breaking out.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →
Appears in
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