Meanings & readings
Meanings & dictionary uses
2 senses · 6 wordsUses corresponding to 發
Hair, corresponding to 髮
Languages & readings
Choose a recorded reading. Explore other varieties through their reference sources below.
Mandarin
Sense-linked readingsReadings & meanings
Usage scope
Regional and word-specific qualifications remain attached to the sense and vocabulary records.
Cantonese
Selected character readingSource & reading limitations
Jyutping · Unihan 17.0.0
This property supplies a customary character reading for collation and transliteration. It does not list every reading or identify the reading for each word and sense. It also does not encode a separate regional label for each value.
Other Chinese languages & varieties
Reference guides · character readings not yet imported.
Taiwanese Hokkien 臺灣台語Reference sources only
The Ministry of Education dictionary is the reference for Taiwanese vocabulary and readings. Its Tâi-lô guide distinguishes citation tones from changes in connected speech. Other Hokkien varieties require their own sources.
- Reference variety
- Taiwanese Hokkien, with the regional distinctions recorded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education
- Notation
- Tâi-lô (臺羅), as used by the linked MOE dictionary
Hakka 客語Reference sources only
Taiwan's Ministry of Education documents six Hakka varieties separately. Choose the variety before comparing readings; a single undifferentiated Hakka pronunciation would hide meaningful differences.
- Reference variety
- Taiwan: Sixian, Hailu, Dapu, Raoping, Zhao'an and Southern Sixian
- Notation
- Taiwan Hakka Romanization System (臺灣客語拼音方案)
Teochew 潮州話／潮汕話Reference sources only
Explore CUHK's published Chaozhou lexicon and its separate Shantou sound table. These reference locations remain explicit: readings from one locality should not stand in for every Teochew variety.
- Reference variety
- Chaozhou lexicon; separate Shantou syllable-table resource
- Notation
- Source phonetic transcription; no shared local romanization imported
Wu 吳語・上海話Reference sources only
The linked university resource documents Shanghai. Wu also includes other local varieties; Shanghai readings should retain that location label when compared with Mandarin or Cantonese.
- Reference variety
- Shanghai
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Eastern Min 閩東語・福州話Reference sources only
Fuzhou is an Eastern Min reference variety. Its dedicated CUHK sound table offers a starting point; other Eastern Min localities need distinct records and source attribution.
- Reference variety
- Fuzhou
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Gan 贛語・南昌話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Nanchang sound table. The broader Gan group contains local differences, so future readings should identify Nanchang or another documented locality explicitly.
- Reference variety
- Nanchang
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Xiang 湘語・長沙話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Changsha sound table. Keep Changsha separate from other Xiang localities when adding readings; the group name does not denote one uniform pronunciation.
- Reference variety
- Changsha
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Form & structure
Structure & components
0 direct parts- Layout
- single
- Index radical
- 又 · 29 · 3 residual strokes
发 is treated as one abbreviated modern form. Similar visible strokes are not used to infer a single origin for its different sense groups. The two traditional correspondences remain separate research identities.
Follow the recorded parts
recorded boundaryA boundary means no finer analysis is published here; it does not assert an indivisible unit. Radical classification and component structure are separate.
Inspect the component network ↗Writing
5 strokesModern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. [47]
Words & connections
Examples
2 sentences出發以前，我想先理髮。
出发以前，我想先理发。
Before setting out, I would like to get a haircut.
她發現自己的頭髮變長了。
她发现自己的头发变长了。
She noticed that her hair had grown longer.
Original editorial sentences. Pinyin uses dictionary tones; connected speech may differ.
Connections
0 phonetic neighboursThis pilot does not link this character to a sound (phonetic) family. Explore the other recorded relationships below.
Sentence context · 2 matches
就在沙发上。
Source, contributors & licenses
Mandarin: Tatoeba #394448 · Original contributor: FeuDRenais · CC BY 2.0 FR · Attribution log · Current owner: GlossaMatik
English: Tatoeba #7211476 · Original contributor: dcampbell · CC BY 2.0 FR · Attribution log · Current owner: sundown
Source text unchanged. Original contributor and text editors are credited from the source log, separately from the current owner.
History & distinctions
Etymology & evidence
3 accountsTwo correspondences are explicitly recorded
CUHK’s 发 entry lists both 發 and 髮. This is a many-to-one modern spelling relationship. It does not establish one shared origin for those two characters.
The 發 branch
For sending, setting out, and related verbs, open 發 and its bow-related historical discussion.
The 髮 branch
For hair words, open 髮 and its separately documented head-and-hair history.
Reading this character · explanatory note
发 is one simplified shape with two major traditional correspondences. In 发现, discover, or 出发, set out, it corresponds to 發 and is fā. In 发型, hairstyle, or 理发, haircutting, it corresponds to 髮 and is ordinarily fà in mainland Mandarin; 头发 commonly has a neutral final syllable. You cannot reverse this simplification accurately by replacing every 发 with the same traditional character. Read the word first. This portrait keeps the two sense groups, readings, and histories separate, while making both available from the same simplified route. Regional pronunciation details are explained in the 髮 portrait.
Historical specimens remain at their sources. No dated attestation sequence or licensed specimen image is claimed.
Inspect CUHK’s forms and discussion ↗Forms & distinctions
发现 → 發現; 出发 → 出發; 理发 → 理髮; 发型 → 髮型. These explicit word mappings are the safe examples. Conversion of an unfamiliar word needs lexical evidence; pronunciation and meaning should be checked together instead of guessed from the isolated character.
Choose 發 for the words 发生, 发现, 出发, and 发展 when writing traditional Chinese.
Choose 髮 for 头发, 理发, 发型, and 白发 in traditional Chinese. The word’s final tone may vary by lexical and regional convention.
Sources & reference
Sources & research
7 sourcesLocator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Release 2026-10-12T08:13:53Z. Exact word-reading locators are retained with each WordRecord. · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
漢語拼音; definition 1 · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
17.0.0 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
bddc96d41bef78427ed0e034e9f7e31d71fd1b92 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Open research · 2 items
- Historical and uncommon mappings outside the example words have not been exhaustively reviewed.
- The modern abbreviation itself does not have a dated specimen sequence in this foundation.
Cited claims compared with the consulted entries; no independent expert review recorded.
Readings across dictionaries
- Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
- fā 0292.010 · fà 0297.040
- Tongyong Guifan · 2013
- fā 090.010 · fà 090.100
- Reading counts · XDHYPLCD
- fā(4834) fa(174) fà(80)