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发高烧 (fā gāo shāo) — to have a high fever, to run a high fever

Definition

A colloquial set phrase meaning 'to have/run a high fever.' Built on 发 (to develop/send out) + 高烧 (high fever), and only describes the fever itself — not general illness.

verb
to have a high feverto run a high fever

Examples

  • 发高烧，。
    Tā zuó tiān fā gāo shāo le, jīn tiān hái méi tuì shāo.
    He had a high fever yesterday and still hasn't broken it today.
  • ，。
    Wǒ fā guò yí cì gāo shāo, hěn nán shòu.
    I had a high fever once, and it was very uncomfortable.
  • 。
    Tā fā zhe gāo shāo hái jiān chí shàng bān.
    She insisted on going to work while running a high fever.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fāproduce
高烧high fever
高gāohigh烧shāofever
偏正Modifier + head

发 means produce and 高烧 means high fever, so 发高烧 is to run a high fever.

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 →

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

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 燒; 烧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo燒shāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 燒 pairs 火 (fire) with 堯, which supplies the sound; the simplified 烧 is a shorthand.

Open 烧 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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