引发

引發

yǐnfā

verb HSK 7-9 #4,328

Meanings

1 to trigger
2 to cause
3 to give rise to

Characters

emit; produce; trigger

Literally 'lead to triggering' — to trigger or cause

Examples

这个事件引发了广泛的讨论。

Zhège shìjiàn yǐnfā le guǎngfàn de tǎolùn.

This event triggered widespread discussion.

吸烟可能引发多种疾病。

Xīyān kěnéng yǐnfā duōzhǒng jíbìng.

Smoking can cause various diseases.

Tips

usage

引发 is used for negative or significant events: diseases, controversies, debates, disasters. Compare with 引起 (yǐnqǐ), which is more general and can be used for both positive and negative outcomes.

Stroke Order

引 yǐn

发 fā