散发

• Pinyin: sàn fā
• Hanzi breakdown: 散 = 攴 (strike) + 𣎵 (loose fibers) = to disperse; 发 = 弓 (bow) + 殳 (weapon/launch) = to emit/release

Meaning

To emit; to radiate; to give off (light, heat, fragrance, charm). Also: to distribute or hand out (leaflets, materials).

Has two main senses: (1) to naturally emit or radiate something intangible — fragrance (散发香气), light (散发光芒), warmth (散发温暖), charm (散发魅力); (2) to distribute printed materials such as flyers or notices. The first sense is more common in literary and descriptive writing; the second is more administrative and formal.

Examples

1. 这片茶园在清晨的薄雾中散发出淡淡的清香，令人心旷神怡，仿佛置身于世外桃源之中。 In the morning mist, the tea garden gives off a faint fragrance that feels refreshing and calming, as if you’ve stepped into a hidden paradise.
2. 他身上散发出的从容自信令整个谈判室为之一振，对方代表不由自主地放低了原本强硬的谈判姿态。 The calm confidence he gave off energized the entire negotiating room, and the other side’s representatives unconsciously softened their previously tough stance.
3. 志愿者们在商业街沿途散发宣传材料，向过往市民介绍本次社区环保活动的具体内容和参与方式。 Volunteers handed out informational materials along the shopping street, explaining the details of this community environmental event and how to take part.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, character, administration, literature

Tone: positive to neutral

Do Say

• 这位艺术家的作品散发出一种跨越时代的人文光辉，无论在哪个历史时期都能引发观者深刻的情感共鸣。(This artist's works radiate a humanistic brilliance that transcends eras, capable of evoking profound emotional resonance in viewers across any historical period.)
• 展览馆门口，工作人员向每位入场观众散发了一份精心设计的导览手册，帮助参观者更好地理解各展品的背景与意义。(At the entrance to the exhibition hall, staff handed out a carefully designed guide booklet to each visitor to help them better understand the background and significance of each exhibit.)

Don't Say

• 他散发了很多话 — 散发 collocates with things that radiate or can be physically distributed; use 说了很多 or 表达了很多 for speech

Origin & History

散 (to scatter/disperse — loosened fibers breaking apart) + 发 (to send out/emit — 弓 bow + 殳 weapon = to launch/release) — to release and disperse outward

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal