- 大发雷霆 dàfāléitíng to fly into a rageto be furious; to lose one's temper and shout at someone; literally "to unleash a thunderous storm"
- 三大发明 sāndàfāmíng Three Great InventionsThe three major Chinese inventions traditionally recognized as having a major impact on world history: gunpowder, printing, and the compass
- 四大发明 sìdàfāmíng four great inventionsThe four great inventions of ancient China, which include the compass [[指南针|指南針|zhi3 nan2 zhen1]], paper [[造纸术|造紙術|zao4 zhi3 shu4]], gunpowder [[火药|火藥|huo3 yao4]], and printing [[印刷术|印刷術|yin4 shua1 shu4]].
- 大发利市 dàfālìshì to make a fortuneto make a lot of money quickly; to have a highly profitable business
- 大发牢骚 dàfāláosao to complain bitterlyTo pour out a stream of complaints; to grumble incessantly.