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焕发 (huàn fā) — to radiate; to glow (with health, energy, happiness, etc.)

Definition

Mostly figurative: 'to radiate' energy, spirit, or vitality, not literal light. Pairs with abstract qualities like 精神, 活力, or 生机 — closer to 放射/辐射 in imagery, but applied to people and moods.

verb
to radiateto glow (with health, energy, happiness, etc.)

Examples

  • ，焕发。
    Lǎo rén suī rán nián jì dà le, dàn jīng shén yī rán huàn fā.
    Although the old man is advanced in age, he still radiates vitality.
  • ，焕发。
    Chūn tiān lái le, dà dì huàn fā chū bó bó shēng jī.
    Spring has come, and the earth bursts with vibrant life.
  • ，焕发。
    Tā chuān shàng xīn yī fu hòu, liǎn shàng huàn fā zhe zì xìn de xiào róng.
    After putting on new clothes, her face glowed with a confident smile.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

焕huànbright
发fāemit

The brightness of 焕 and the emission of 发 together give 'to shine forth'.

Characters in this word

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 煥; 焕 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
奐
奐huàn煥huàn
Same sound today

In the traditional form 煥, 火 is the fire part and 奐 gives the sound. The simplified 焕 is a later shorthand.

Open 焕 →

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 7-9Emotions & Feelings

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