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散发 (sàn fā) — to distribute, to hand out; to emit, to give off (a smell, heat, light, etc.)

Definition

散发 covers two senses: handing out physical items (传单, 通知), like 发放/分发, and emitting smells or heat, like 辐射. Compared to 发布 (issuing news/statement publicly), 散发 is more about physical items or sensory output.

verb
to distributeto hand outto emitto give off (a smell, heat, light, etc.)

Examples

  • 散发。
    Tā men zài gōng yuán sàn fā chuán dān.
    They are handing out flyers in the park.
  • 散发。
    Kǎo ròu sàn fā chū yòu rén de xiāng wèi.
    The barbecue gives off a tempting aroma.
  • 散发。
    Gōng sī sàn fā le yí gè tōng zhī.
    The company issued a notice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

散sàngive out
发fāemit

散 and 发 both carry giving out, together meaning distribute or emit.

Characters in this word

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

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →

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 6HSK 2.0 Level 6

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