发电

• Pinyin: fā diàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = emit, generate; 电 = electricity — generating electric power

Meaning

To generate electricity; power generation. The process of producing electrical power from various energy sources.

Central to discussions of energy policy and infrastructure. Key terms: 发电厂/发电站 (power plant), 发电量 (electricity output), 太阳能发电 (solar power), 风力发电 (wind power), 核发电 (nuclear power). Also slang: 发电 can mean flirting online (generating sparks).

Examples

1. 这座水电站每年发电量足够供应整个城市的用电需求。 This hydropower station's annual output is enough to supply the entire city's electricity needs.
2. 随着技术进步，太阳能发电的成本越来越低了。 With technological advances, the cost of solar power generation is getting lower and lower.
3. 新建的火力发电厂引发了当地居民对环境污染的担忧。 The newly built thermal power plant has raised local residents' concerns about environmental pollution.

Usage Guide

Context: energy, industry, environment

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 风力发电是一种清洁能源。(Wind power is a clean energy source.)
• 这台发电机的功率有多大？(What's the power output of this generator?)

Don't Say

• 把网络用语'发电'用在正式能源讨论中 (Don't confuse internet slang 发电 (flirting/simping) with actual power generation in formal contexts)

Origin & History

Compound of 发 (emit, generate) + 电 (electricity). Modern term from late 19th century when electrical technology was introduced.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal