fātiě: 发帖 - To Post (Online), To Make a Post

• Keywords: fā tiě, 发帖, post online, make a post, post a thread, Chinese internet forum, post on Weibo, Chinese social media, BBS, 论坛, 帖子, what does fatie mean
• Summary: In the world of Chinese social media, 发帖 (fā tiě) is a fundamental verb meaning “to post” or “to create a new thread” on an online forum or message board. Understanding fā tiě is your first step to engaging with China's vast and dynamic online communities. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage, showing you how to make a post online and interact with Chinese netizens like a pro.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fā tiě
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound
• HSK Level: N/A (but essential for modern usage)
• Concise Definition: To publish a post on an internet forum, message board, or social media platform.
• In a Nutshell: “发帖 (fā tiě)” is the specific action of creating a new, original post online, especially one that starts a new conversation or “thread.” Think of it as putting up a new notice on a community bulletin board for everyone to see and discuss. It's the digital equivalent of “publishing a note.”

• 发 (fā): This character means “to send out,” “to issue,” or “to publish.” Imagine sending out an announcement or launching a product—it's an action of distribution.
• 帖 (tiě): This character means “a post” or “a note.” Historically, it referred to a slip of paper with writing, like an invitation card or a note for calligraphy practice. In the digital age, it perfectly evolved to mean an online “post.”
• Combined Meaning: The characters literally combine to mean “to send out a post.” This logical structure makes it an easy term to remember once you know the individual characters.

The term 发帖 (fā tiě) is deeply rooted in the culture of China's early internet forums (BBS, or 论坛 lùntán). In the late 1990s and 2000s, platforms like Tianya (天涯) became massive virtual public squares where millions of people would 发帖 to discuss everything from celebrity gossip to social issues. A key cultural concept that emerged from this is the 楼主 (lóuzhǔ), which means “landlord of the building” and is the term for the Original Poster (OP). This is a fascinating contrast to the more generic Western “OP.” The term 楼主 implies a sense of ownership and responsibility over the “building” (the thread) they created by 发帖. Other users are “tenants” or visitors who reply on different “floors” (e.g., a reply might be called “2楼” or “the 2nd floor”). This reflects a more structured, community-centric view of online discussion compared to the often flat, chronological comment sections in the West. When you 发帖, you are not just sharing an opinion; you are building a space for discussion.

发帖 is a very common, informal term used by all Chinese netizens.

• On Forums (论坛): This is the classic context. You 发帖 to ask a question, share an experience, or start a debate on a platform like Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧).
• On Social Media: While platforms like Weibo have their own specific verb, “发微博 (fā wēibó - to post a Weibo),” the general term 发帖 is still widely understood to mean creating any substantive text-based post.
• As a Noun Phrase: The action itself can be referred to as 发帖. For example, “发帖很花时间” (Posting takes a lot of time).

The act of 发帖 results in a 帖子 (tiězi), which is the noun for “a post.”

• Example 1:
  • 我想在游戏论坛上发帖，问一下通关攻略。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng zài yóuxì lùntán shàng fā tiě, wèn yīxià tōngguān gōnglüè.
  • English: I want to post on the game forum to ask for a walkthrough guide.
  • Analysis: A classic and straightforward use of the term. The context is a forum (论坛), the natural habitat for a 发帖 action.
• Example 2:
  • 发帖前，请你一定要先阅读版规。
  • Pinyin: Fā tiě qián, qǐng nǐ yīdìng yào xiān yuèdú bǎnguī.
  • English: Before you post, please make sure to read the forum rules first.
  • Analysis: Here, 发帖 acts as a gerund (“posting”). This is a very common instruction seen on virtually all Chinese online communities.
• Example 3:
  • 他因为发帖骂人，账号被封了。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi fā tiě màrén, zhànghào bèi fēng le.
  • English: His account was banned because he made a post cursing people out.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows the potential negative consequences of a 发帖 action.
• Example 4:
  • 你怎么一天到晚都在发帖，不用工作吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zěnme yītiān dàowǎn dōu zài fā tiě, bùyòng gōngzuò ma?
  • English: How come you're posting online all day long? Don't you have to work?
  • Analysis: A colloquial and slightly teasing question. The structure “在 + verb” indicates an ongoing action.
• Example 5:
  • 她很擅长发帖吸引别人的注意。
  • Pinyin: Tā hěn shàncháng fā tiě xīyǐn biérén de zhùyì.
  • English: She is very good at making posts that attract other people's attention.
  • Analysis: Shows that 发帖 can be a skill.
• Example 6:
  • 别光看啊，你也发个帖分享一下你的看法。
  • Pinyin: Bié guāng kàn a, nǐ yě fā ge tiě fēnxiǎng yīxià nǐ de kànfǎ.
  • English: Don't just read, you should also make a post and share your opinion.
  • Analysis: This example shows the separable nature of the verb-object compound. “发个帖 (fā ge tiě)” means “to post one post.” This is very common in spoken Chinese.
• Example 7:
  • 我昨天发的那个帖子怎么被删了？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuótiān fā de nàge tiězi zěnme bèi shān le?
  • English: Why was the post I made yesterday deleted?
  • Analysis: A crucial sentence structure. Here, the action is separated. “发” is the verb, and “帖子 (tiězi)” is the noun (the post itself). This is used when you want to talk about a specific post.
• Example 8:
  • 这个论坛不允许匿名发帖。
  • Pinyin: Zhège lùntán bù yǔnxǔ nìmíng fā tiě.
  • English: This forum does not allow anonymous posting.
  • Analysis: Shows how 发帖 can be modified by an adverb, in this case “anonymously” (匿名).
• Example 9:
  • 为了赚积分，他不停地在发一些水贴。
  • Pinyin: Wèile zhuàn jīfēn, tā bùtíng de zài fā yīxiē shuǐtiě.
  • English: In order to earn points, he is constantly making some low-effort/spammy posts.
  • Analysis: This introduces the concept of a “水贴 (shuǐtiě),” or spammy post. It also uses the separated verb “发” with the noun “水贴”.
• Example 10:
  • 如果你有问题，随时可以发帖求助。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu wèntí, suíshí kěyǐ fā tiě qiúzhù.
  • English: If you have a question, you can post to ask for help at any time.
  • Analysis: Shows 发帖 used as part of a larger purpose: “post in order to seek help” (发帖求助).

• “发帖” vs. “To Post a Photo”: A common mistake for learners is to use 发帖 for everything they “post.” 发帖 strongly implies a text-based post that creates a new thread. If you are simply posting a photo to your social media feed (like Instagram or WeChat Moments), it's better to be more specific:
  • Correct: 我想发一张照片 (Wǒ xiǎng fā yī zhāng zhàopiàn) - I want to post a photo.
  • Correct: 他刚发了朋友圈 (Tā gāng fā le Péngyǒuquān) - He just posted on his WeChat Moments.
  • Awkward/Incorrect: 我想发帖一张照片。
• “发帖” (Creating) vs. “回复” (Replying): This is the most critical distinction. 发帖 is what the Original Poster (楼主) does. Everyone else who comments on that post is 回复 (huífù - to reply) or 评论 (pínglùn - to comment).
  • Incorrect: 我在他的帖子里发帖了。(I posted in his post.)
  • Correct: 我回复了他的帖子。(Wǒ huífù le tā de tiězi.) - I replied to his post.
• “发帖” vs. “发帖子”: These are very similar. 发帖 (fā tiě) is the compact, established term for the general action. 发帖子 (fā tiězi) is a standard verb + noun phrase. You must use 发帖子 when you quantify it.
  • General Action: 他喜欢发帖。(He likes to post.)
  • Specific/Quantified: 他今天发了三个帖子。(Tā jīntiān fā le sān ge tiězi.) - He made three posts today.

• 帖子 (tiězi) - The noun form. The actual “post” that is created by the action of 发帖.
• 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) - The Original Poster (OP), literally “landlord.” The person who started the thread by 发帖.
• 论坛 (lùntán) - Internet forum or BBS, the primary place where one would 发帖.
• 回复 (huífù) - To reply. This is the action of responding to a 帖子. It's the opposite of starting a new one.
• 评论 (pínglùn) - To comment. Similar to 回复, but more common on blogs, news articles, and social media status updates.
• 删帖 (shān tiě) - To delete a post. A moderator might do this, or you might delete your own.
• 顶帖 (dǐng tiě) - To “bump” a post, or push it back to the top of the forum list by replying. From “顶” (dǐng - top, to push up).
• 灌水 (guànshuǐ) - To “flood” a forum with low-quality or spammy posts (called 水贴 shuǐtiě). Literally “to pour water.”
• 潜水 (qiánshuǐ) - To lurk (read forums without ever posting). Literally “to dive underwater.”
• 微博 (wēibó) - Microblog (e.g., Sina Weibo). The specific action is 发微博 (fā wēibó).