突发

• Pinyin: tū fā
• Hanzi breakdown: 突 = 穴 (cave) + 犬 — sudden; 发 = 癶 + 弓 — to emit, occur

Meaning

Sudden; unexpected; to break out suddenly; emergency.

Describes events that occur suddenly without warning. Common in news for emergencies (突发新闻), accidents, or sudden changes. Also used as a verb meaning to suddenly occur.

Examples

1. 突发暴雨导致多处路段积水，交通瘫痪。 A sudden rainstorm caused flooding on multiple road sections, paralyzing traffic.
2. 医院接到一个突发心脏病的急救电话。 The hospital received an emergency call about a sudden heart attack.
3. 公司要制定突发事件应急预案以防万一。 Companies should develop emergency response plans just in case.

Usage Guide

Context: news, emergencies, health

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 突发事件。(Emergency/sudden incident.)
• 突发新闻。(Breaking news.)

Don't Say

• 把预料中的事叫'突发' (突发 means genuinely unexpected — planned events are not 突发)

Origin & History

突 means sudden, 发 means to occur/emit — to occur suddenly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal