发潮 (fā cháo) — to become damp, to get moist

Definition

Verb (split: 发…潮) meaning something absorbs moisture and becomes damp — walls, clothes, food. Pairs naturally with weather or storage (e.g. 墙发潮, 饼干发了潮).

verb
to become dampto get moist

Examples

  • ，发潮。
    Zhè jǐ tiān yì zhí xià yǔ, qiáng dōu fā cháo le.
    It's been raining for days, and the walls have become damp.
  • ，发潮。
    Yī fu fàng zài guì zi lǐ jiǔ le, hěn róng yì fā cháo.
    If clothes stay in the wardrobe for a long time, they easily get damp.
  • ，。
    Zhè bāo bǐng gān yǐ jīng fā le cháo, bù néng chī le.
    This pack of crackers has already gotten damp and can't be eaten.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

发fābecome
潮cháodamp

发 (become) and 潮 (damp) describe something turning moist.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
朝
朝cháo潮cháo
Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the sound.

Open 潮 →

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