蓄发 (xù fā) — to grow one's hair long, to let one's hair grow

Definition

蓄发 means deliberately letting your hair grow long — a choice, not just having long hair. Pairs with 蓄须 (growing a beard) as a parallel verb.

verb

to grow one's hair longto let one's hair grow

蓄发，。
Tā jué dìng xù fā, bú zài jiǎn duǎn.
He decided to grow his hair long and not cut it short anymore.
，。
Tā xù le yì tóu cháng fà, kàn qǐ lái hěn yǒu qì zhì.
She grew a head of long hair and looks very elegant.
？。
Nǐ xù guò fā ma? wǒ jué de cháng fà bú shì hé wǒ.
Have you ever grown your hair long? I don't think long hair suits me.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

蓄 means to keep or grow, and 发 means hair; together they mean to grow one's hair long.

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.

艹畜蓄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

畜

Same sound today

The top 艹 shows plants, and the lower 畜 gives the sound; the character is about cultivating plants and storing grain.

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.