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发 — to send out; to show; to issue

to send out; to show; to issue; to develop

Pinyin
fā · fà
Strokes
5
HSK level
HSK 3
Handwriting
required

This character has more than one reading — fā, fà — and the pronunciation depends on the word it appears in. The list below gives the syllabus reading for each word.

How to write 发: 5 strokes

Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. This character is on the HSK handwriting list, so the exam expects you to write it, not only recognise it.

发 — 5 strokes, in writing order from left to right.

Build a printable practice sheet with 发

Words with 发 in the HSK syllabus: 79

Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.

  1. 出发chūfāto set off; to startHSK 3
  2. 发fāto send out; to show; to issue; to developHSK 3
  3. 发烧fāshāoto have a high temperature; to have a feverHSK 3
  4. 发生fāshēngto happen; to occur; to take place; to break outHSK 3
  5. 发现fāxiànto notice; to become aware ofHSK 3
  6. 发展fāzhǎndevelopment; growth; to develop; to grow; to expandHSK 3
  7. 沙发shāfāsofa; first reply to a forum postHSK 3
  8. 头发tóufahairHSK 3
  9. 发出fāchūto issue; to send out; to dispatchHSK 4
  10. 发送fāsòngto transmit; to dispatch; to issueHSK 4
  11. 理发lǐfàto get a haircut; to have one's hair doneHSK 4
  12. 转发zhuǎnfāto transmit; to forward; to pass on; to republishHSK 4
  13. 发表fābiǎoto issue; to publishHSK 5
  14. 发布fābùto release; to issue; to announce; to distributeHSK 5
  15. 发达fādáwell-developed; flourishingHSK 5
  16. 发挥fāhuīto display; to exhibitHSK 5
  17. 发明fāmíngto invent; an inventionHSK 5
  18. 发起fāqǐto originate; to initiate; to launch; to startHSK 5
  19. 发言fāyánto make a speech; statement; utteranceHSK 5
  20. 发音fāyīnto pronounce; pronunciation; to emit soundHSK 5
  21. 开发kāifāto exploit; to open up; to developHSK 5
  22. 研发yánfāresearch and development; to developHSK 5
  23. 爆发bàofāto break out; to erupt; to explode; to burst outHSK 6
  24. 发病fābìngto occur; to get sick; to fall ill; onsetHSK 6
  25. 发愁fāchóuto worry; to fret; to be anxious; to become sadHSK 6
  26. 发电fādiànto generate electricity; to send a telegramHSK 6
  27. 发动fādòngto start; to launch; to unleash; to mobilizeHSK 6
  28. 发放fāfàngto provide; to give; to grantHSK 6
  29. 发光fāguāngto emit light; to shine; to glow; to glisten; to be luminousHSK 6
  30. 发票fāpiàoinvoice; receipt; bill; uniform invoiceHSK 6
  31. 发行fāxíngto publish; to issue; to release; to distributeHSK 6
  32. 发炎fāyánto become inflamed; inflammationHSK 6
  33. 发育fāyùto develop; to mature; growth; development; matureHSK 6
  34. 激发jīfāto arouse; to stimulate; to exciteHSK 6
  35. 启发qǐfāto enlighten; to explain; to stimulateHSK 6
  36. 散发sànfāto distribute; to emit; to give offHSK 6
  37. 突发tūfāto occur suddenlyHSK 6
  38. 引发yǐnfāto lead to; to trigger; to initiate; to causeHSK 6
  39. 颁发bānfāto issue; to promulgate; to awardHSK 7–9
  40. 迸发bèngfāto burst forthHSK 7–9

And 39 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.

Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.