発作

• Reading: ほっさ
• Romaji: hossa
• Kanji breakdown: 発 (hotsu) — emit, occur; 作 (sa) — arise, produce
• Pronunciation: /hos.sa/

Meaning

Fit; attack; seizure. A sudden episode of illness or involuntary physical symptoms.

A medical noun describing sudden, often violent onset of symptoms. Used with various conditions: 心臓発作 (heart attack), 喘息の発作 (asthma attack), てんかんの発作 (epileptic seizure), パニック発作 (panic attack). Can also be used figuratively for sudden emotional outbursts (怒りの発作, a fit of anger). The word carries a serious, clinical tone.

Examples

1. 祖母は心臓発作で救急車に運ばれた。 My grandmother was taken by ambulance to the hospital after suffering a heart attack.
2. 季節の変わり目に喘息の発作が起きやすい。 Asthma attacks tend to flare up at seasonal transitions.
3. 突然の発作に備えて薬を常に持ち歩いている。 I always carry medicine with me in case of a sudden attack.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health, emergencies

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 発 (hotsu, to emit/occur) + 作 (sa, to arise/produce). Literally 'occurrence arising,' describing the sudden onset of symptoms. The reading ほっさ reflects the assimilation of つ to っ before さ.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal