出动

• Pinyin: chū dòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 出 = 凵 (container) + 屮 (sprout), to go out; 动 = simplified from 動, to move

Meaning

To dispatch; to deploy; to mobilize. To send out (troops, vehicles, personnel) for action.

Commonly used for deploying military forces, police, emergency responders, or large numbers of vehicles/people for a specific mission. Implies organized, purposeful action rather than casual departure.

Examples

1. 警方出动了大量警力搜捕逃犯。 The police deployed a large number of officers to search for the escaped prisoner.
2. 为了应对暴风雪，市政府出动了上百辆铲雪车。 To deal with the blizzard, the city government dispatched over a hundred snow plows.
3. 森林火灾发生后，消防部门立即出动直升机灭火。 After the forest fire broke out, the fire department immediately deployed helicopters to fight the blaze.

Usage Guide

Context: military, emergency, news

Tone: official

Do Say

• 部队已经出动。(The troops have been deployed.)
• 全家出动去大扫除。(The whole family mobilized for spring cleaning.)

Don't Say

• 一两个人离开不用'出动'，通常指大规模行动 (Don't use 出动 for one or two people leaving — it typically refers to large-scale mobilization)

Origin & History

Combines 出 (to go out) with 动 (to move/act), meaning to send out in motion for action.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal