吩 meaning and stroke order
To order, to command; to instruct
How to write 吩, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 吩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 吩咐[fen1 fu5]
- used in transliteration of chemical compounds
How 吩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 分 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吩
吩 is a mouth 口 next to 分 (fēn), which gives the sound. Picture a boss using their mouth to hand out (分) tasks to each person.
吩 almost never appears alone. It lives in the word 吩咐 (fēnfù), meaning to tell someone to do something or to give instructions, often from someone with authority. Example: 妈妈吩咐我早点回家。(Māma fēnfù wǒ zǎodiǎn huíjiā.) Mom told me to come home early.
Common mistake: Learners often write 分 alone instead of 吩, or forget the 口 on 咐 and write 付. Both characters in 吩咐 need the 口 radical.
Common words with 吩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吩咐 | fēnfù | to tell; to instruct; to command | HSK 7-9 |
吩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 吩
How many strokes are in 吩?
吩 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吩 mean?
吩 (fēn) means to order, to command; to instruct. A common word with it is 吩咐 (fēnfù), meaning "to tell; to instruct; to command".
How do you pronounce 吩?
吩 is pronounced fēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 吩?
The radical of 吩 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吩 under this radical.
Is 吩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吩 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you pronounce 吩咐, and is the second syllable toneless?
It is usually said fēnfu, with 咐 in the neutral tone in everyday speech. Dictionaries may list fēnfù, but the light second syllable sounds more natural.
What is the difference between 吩咐 and 告诉?
告诉 (gàosu) simply means to tell or inform. 吩咐 means to tell someone to do something, so it carries a sense of giving orders or instructions, usually from an elder or superior.