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发起 (fā qǐ) — to initiate, to launch, to start (an action or event)

Definition

发起 (fāqǐ) means to launch or initiate an action, campaign, or attack — focused on the act of starting. 起源 names the origin of something, not who started it; 倡议 is the proposal itself.

verb
to initiateto launchto start (an action or event)

Examples

  • 发起。
    Tā men fā qǐ le yì chǎng dà guī mó jìn gōng.
    They launched a large-scale offensive.
  • 发起。
    Tā fā qǐ le yí xiàng xīn de chàng yì.
    He initiated a new initiative.
  • 发起？
    Shì shuí fā qǐ le zhè ge tǎo lùn?
    Who started this discussion?

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fāstart
起qǐrise

发 and 起 both mean start or set in motion, so the word means to initiate something.

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Change & Process

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