Definition
放炮 is a separable verb (离合词) that has multiple senses: literally 'to fire a gun/cannon', 'to have a tire blowout', and figuratively 'to shoot off one's mouth' (speak boastfully or recklessly). When splitting, insert a number, measure word, or aspect marker between 放 and 炮 — for example, 放了一炮 ('fired a shot') or 放过两次炮 ('had two blowouts'). The figurative sense is common in informal speech.
v.o.
to fire a gun or cannonto have a tire blowout(figurative) to shoot off one's mouthto talk boastfully or recklessly
Examples
- 放炮。Tā zài shān shàng fàng bāo.He is firing a cannon on the mountain.
- ，。Jīntiān fàng le yí ge páo, shēngyīn hěn xiǎng.Today a shot was fired, and the sound was very loud.
- 放炮，。Tā xǐhuan fàng bāo, dàn méi rén xiāngxìn tā de huà.He likes to shoot off his mouth, but nobody believes what he says.
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