発 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N4)
What it means
At its core, 発 is about something leaving, going off, or being put out into the world. That one idea stretches across a surprising range of words: a train departing (発車), a person setting out on a trip (出発), a discovery being brought to light (発見), a sound being produced (発音), and an announcement being issued (発表). Whether it's a vehicle, an idea, a sound, or news, 発 marks the moment it starts moving outward. If you keep that "something goes off / gets sent out" image in mind, most 発 words will make intuitive sense.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | ハツ | 出発 (departure), 発見 (discovery), 発音 (pronunciation), 発車 (a vehicle departing) |
| on'yomi | ホツ | 発作 (ほっさ, a fit / sudden attack) — rare |
There's no common kun'yomi for 発 — in modern Japanese you'll almost always meet it inside two-kanji compounds, reading it ハツ. The headline thing to learn is a sound change: when ハツ is followed by certain consonants, the つ shrinks into a small っ (a doubled consonant), and a following は-row sound often hardens to a ぱ-row sound. So:
- 発 + 見 → はっけん (not はつけん)
- 発 + 表 → はっぴょう (the は of 表 becomes ぴ)
- 発 + 車 → はっしゃ
- 出 + 発 → しゅっぱつ (here the つ in 出 doubles before 発)
This is completely regular Japanese phonetics, not 発 being weird — but because 発 appears in so many compounds, it's the perfect kanji to lock the pattern in.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 9. Write the 癶 "footsteps" top first (the two little legs spreading out at the top), then fill in the body below.
- Radical: the radical is 癶 (はつがしら), often called the "dotted tent" or "footsteps" radical. It pictures a pair of legs stepping apart — a fitting image for a kanji all about setting off and departing. The same top appears in 登 (to climb).
Spotting that splayed-legs top is the quickest way to recognize 発 at a glance and to tell it apart from busier kanji.
Common words using 発
Notice the gemination pattern doing its work: 発見 → はっけん and 発車 → はっしゃ both double the consonant, 発表 → はっぴょう hardens 表 to ぴ, and 出発 → しゅっぱつ doubles before 発. Meanwhile 発音 (はつおん) keeps a plain つ because the next sound is a vowel — nothing to double into.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは朝七時に学校へ出発しました。
ヤッタンは あさ しちじに がっこうへ しゅっぱつしました。
Yattan set off for school at seven in the morning.
出発 — ハツ doubles after 出: しゅっぱつ.
モチは公園で珍しい虫を発見した。
モチは こうえんで めずらしい むしを はっけんした。
Mochi discovered a rare bug in the park.
発見 — ハツ + 見 becomes はっけん, the gemination pattern in action.
先生はヤッタンの発音をほめました。
せんせいは ヤッタンの はつおんを ほめました。
The teacher praised Yattan's pronunciation.
発音 — here ハツ stays plain (はつおん) because the next sound is a vowel.
Quick recap
- 発 = departure / to emit / to start; 9 strokes; radical 癶 ("footsteps").
- Main reading ハツ; ホツ is rare (発作 ほっさ); there's no everyday kun'yomi.
- Watch the gemination: 発見=はっけん, 発車=はっしゃ, 発表=はっぴょう, 出発=しゅっぱつ — but 発音=はつおん stays plain before a vowel.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 発 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why is 発見 read はっけん and not はつけん?
It's a regular sound change called gemination. When ハツ is followed by certain consonants, the つ shrinks to a small っ that doubles the next consonant: 発 + 見 → はっけん. The same thing happens in 発車 (はっしゃ).
Does 発 have a kun'yomi?
Not a common one. In everyday Japanese 発 appears in two-kanji compounds and is read with the on'yomi ハツ. You don't need a kun'yomi to use it well.
When is 発 read ホツ?
Very rarely. The main case to know is 発作 (ほっさ, a sudden fit or attack). For nearly all N4 words, 発 is ハツ.
Why does 出発 sound like しゅっぱつ?
Two changes stack up: 出 (しゅつ) doubles its つ before 発, and 発 hardens to ぱ, giving しゅっぱつ. It's the same gemination pattern, just triggered from the front.