发
脾
气

About

The Chinese word 发脾气 is formed by combining the character 发, meaning "to issue" or "send out", with 脾, meaning "spleen", and 气, meaning "qi" or "energy". It literally translates as "to issue spleen qi", drawing from traditional Chinese medicine where the spleen is associated with emotional regulation and qi with vital force, thus metaphorically representing the act of losing one's temper or expressing anger.

Example Sentences Hide

小明发脾气了。

Xiǎo Míng fā píqi le.

Xiao Ming lost his temper.

爸爸因为工作发脾气。

Bàba yīnwèi gōngzuò fā píqi.

Dad loses his temper because of work.

她发脾气时声音很大。

Tā fā píqi shí shēngyīn hěn dà.

When she loses her temper, her voice is very loud.

老师看到学生吵架就发脾气。

Lǎoshī kàndào xuéshēng chǎojià jiù fā píqi.

The teacher loses his temper when he sees students quarreling.

尽管他尽力控制，但还是忍不住发脾气。

Jǐnguǎn tā jìnlì kòngzhì, dàn háishì rěnbùzhù fā píqi.

Although he tried hard to control himself, he still couldn't help losing his temper.

Word Definition - 发脾气

fā pí qì to lose one's temper; to fly into a rage; to throw a tantrum

Individual Character Details

发 fā, fà
脾 pí
气 qì