HSK · Level 57
105 words
Chinese word
发动
Pronunciation
Pinyinfā dòng
Meaning
- verbstart
Example
他早上发动汽车去上班。tā zǎo shàng fā dòng qì chē qù shàng bān
He started the car this morning to go to work.
More examples
政府发动活动来提高环保意识。zhèng fǔ fā dòng huó dòng lái tí gāo huán bǎo yì shí
The government launched an activity to raise environmental awareness.
Core concept
An intentional force that moves something from readiness into active operation.
Common phrases
发动汽车fā dòng qì chē
start a car
发动活动fā dòng huó dòng
launch an activity
Similar words
开始kāi shǐ: Start happening or taking place, with focus on the beginning itself.
启动qǐ dòng: Activate a machine or system and make it begin working.
Definition in Chinese
有意识地促使某个动作、事件或计划开始进行。yǒu yì shí dì cù shǐ mǒu gè dòng zuò shì jiàn huò jì huà kāi shǐ jìn xíng
Word origin
The components 发 (fā, "send forth") and 动 (dòng, "move") describe movement caused by an outward push, giving the word its sense of bringing an action or plan into operation.
Usage tips
- The word usually presents a person or group as the cause, so it suits a driver getting a car going or an organizer setting a campaign in motion, not a process that begins without an agent.