to develop; development; growth
HSK level
发展 is written with 15 strokes (发: 5, 展: 10). The animation replays automatically.
发展 (fāzhǎn) is a Chinese word functioning as both a verb ('to develop, to grow, to expand') and a noun ('development, growth').
It describes gradual expansion or advancement over time — of economies, cities, companies, technology, relationships, or a situation (经济发展 economic development, 发展事业 to grow a career). It is register-neutral and central to modern Chinese, especially in news, business, and policy.
Two notes for English speakers: 发展 covers both the process and the noun without changing form, so 快速发展 can mean 'develops rapidly' or 'rapid development' depending on the frame; and it can be transitive ('to develop members' 发展会员 = to recruit) in a sense English 'develop' does not carry. Distinguish it from 发生 (to happen), which is a single event, not a process.
Character by character
Memory hook: 发 (to start) + 展 (to unfold) = to 'start unfolding' — to develop.
这几年这个城市发展得很快。
Zhè jǐ nián zhège chéngshì fāzhǎn de hěn kuài.
This city has developed very fast in the past few years.
spoken
我们要注意个人的全面发展。
Wǒmen yào zhùyì gèrén de quánmiàn fāzhǎn.
We should pay attention to a person's all-round development.
neutral
科技的发展改变了我们的生活。
Kējì de fāzhǎn gǎibiàn le wǒmen de shēnghuó.
The development of technology has changed our lives.
neutral
这家公司未来的发展前景很好。
Zhè jiā gōngsī wèilái de fāzhǎn qiánjǐng hěn hǎo.
This company has very good future prospects.
written
发达 is an adjective describing an already-advanced state (发达国家 developed country, 交通发达 well-developed transport). 发展 is the process or act of developing. A country 发展 (grows) until it becomes 发达 (developed).
增长 means 'to increase / grow' in quantity (人口增长 population growth). 发展 is broader — qualitative advancement, not just numeric increase.
Acquire it by listening
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 发展 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.
