TongTong
Sign in

引发 (yǐn fā) — to cause; to trigger; to lead to

Definition

引发 is more formal/written than 引起 and pairs with both events (discussion, conflict) and emotions (outrage, fear). It leans toward triggering a chain reaction, while 导致 focuses on bringing about a (usually negative) outcome.

verb
to causeto triggerto lead to

Examples

  • 引发。
    Tā de bú dàng yán lùn yǐn fā le zhòng nù.
    His inappropriate remarks triggered public outrage.
  • 引发。
    Zhè xiàng xīn zhèng cè yǐn fā le guǎng fàn tǎo lùn.
    This new policy has sparked widespread discussion.
  • 引发。
    Yí jù wán xiào huà yǐn fā le yì chǎng wù huì.
    A joke led to a misunderstanding.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

引yǐnlead
发fātrigger

“引” (lead) and “发” (trigger) together mean to lead to something happening.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 弓弓gōngbow
  • 丿丿piěindicatory stroke

引 is made from 弓, a bow, and 丿, a short slant stroke added at the place where the string is pulled, marking the action of drawing or pulling.

Open 引 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Cause, Effect & Logic5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.