Chinese word

复发

Pronunciation

Pinyinfù fā

Meaning

  • verbflare up again

Example

咳嗽又复发了。ké sòu yòu fù fā le

The cough flared up again.

Illustration for 复发 (flare up again)

More examples

慢性病有时会复发，需要长期管理。màn xìng bìng yǒu shí huì fù fā xū yào cháng qī guán lǐ

A chronic disease sometimes flares up again and needs long-term management.

Core concept

A problem moves backward after improvement instead of continuing toward recovery.

Common phrases

  • 慢性病复发màn xìng bìng fù fā

    chronic disease flares up again

  • 感染复发gán rǎn fù fā

    infection flares up again

  • 症状复发zhèng zhuàng fù fā

    symptoms flare up again

Similar words

反复fǎn fù: To happen repeatedly, especially when the same symptom or condition keeps returning.
再发zài fā: To occur again after a disease or symptom has been brought under control.
重现chóng xiàn: To appear again after a phenomenon or symptom has been seen before.

Definition in Chinese

原本好转或停止的病情、症状或问题再次出现，通常含有不良的意味。yuán běn háo zhuǎn huò tíng zhǐ de bìng qíng zhèng zhuàng huò wèn tí zài cì chū xiàn tōng cháng hán yǒu bù liáng de yì wèi

Word origin

The compound 复 (fù, "again") + 发 (fā, "to arise") links a return with a new occurrence, which explains the word's unfavorable sense.

Usage tips

  • The aspect marker 了 (le, "completed-event marker") often marks the new event, while 可能 (kěnéng, "possibly") keeps a statement cautious when recurrence is uncertain.

Other meanings

  • relapsenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 复发灶fù fā zàorecurrent lesionnoun
  • 复发性fù fā xìngrecurrentadjective

Word lists with this word