Hanzi Writer

How to Write 发 (fā/fà) — Meaning “To send out; to issue; to develop”

fā/fà HSK Level 2 5 strokes Radical: 又

发 (fā/fà) means "To send out; to issue; to develop" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical 又, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 2.2/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 12% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 发现 (fā xiàn), 发明 (fā míng), 头发 (tóu fà).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 发 with correct proportion and order.

Stroke order practice for 发 - fā/fà

Practice Writing 发 (fā/fà)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 发 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 发

The character 发 (fā/fà) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 又 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does fā/fà (发) Mean in Chinese?

发 means To send out; to issue; to develop.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: fā, fà.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 发 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character发
Pinyinfā / fà (fa)
MeaningTo send out; to issue; to develop
Strokes5
Radical又
HSK Level2
Difficulty2.2/5

Origin of 发

发 is the simplified form of 發, which originally depicted a hand (又) drawing a bow to shoot an arrow, symbolizing the action of sending out or issuing. The top part of the character loosely represents the bow and arrow's motion.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hand (又) raising a flagpole (the top strokes) to send a signal.

Common Words with 发

发现 fā xiàn
to discover; to find
发明 fā míng
invention / invent
头发 tóu fà
hair (on the head)
理发 lǐ fà
haircut; hairdressing

Example Sentences

科学家发现了一颗新的行星。

kē xué jiā fā xiàn le yī kē xīn de xíng xīng

Scientists have discovered a new planet.

爱迪生发明了实用的电灯。

ài dí shēng fà míng liǎo shí yòng de diàn dēng

Edison invented the practical electric light bulb.

奶奶的头发已经全白了。

nǎi nǎi de tóu fà yǐ jīng quán bái le

Grandma's hair has turned completely white.

爸爸每个月都要去理发店理发。

bà bà měi gè yuè dōu yào qù lǐ fà diàn lǐ fà

Dad goes to the barbershop for a haircut every month.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
发 (current) fā / fà 5 又
叉 chā 3 又
及 jí 3 又
友 yǒu 4 又
Stroke order practice for 发 - fā/fà

Practice Writing 发 (fā/fà)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 发 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 发

The character 发 is built with a top part (a left-falling stroke followed by a horizontal line) and the radical 又 (right hand) at the bottom. The hand radical suggests action, and the top part can be seen as something being sent out or released, connecting to the core meaning of 'to send out' or 'to issue'.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

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Characters with Radical 又

又yòu叉chā及jí友yǒu双shuāng反fǎn叒ruò叔shū叕zhuó取qǔ

Other 5-Stroke Characters

㐌yí㐱zhěn㢟chān且qiě丕pī世shì丘qiū丙bǐng业yè丛cóng