奋 meaning and stroke order
To strive, to exert effort; to arouse
How to write 奋, stroke by stroke
8 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 奋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exert oneself (bound form)
How 奋 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 大 working on the farm 田.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 奋
A big person 大 (dà) stands over a rice field 田 (tián), working hard in it. Picture a farmer giving full effort to the field, and you have 奋 (fèn), to strive.
奋 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 奋斗 (fèndòu, to strive), 勤奋 (qínfèn, diligent), and 兴奋 (xīngfèn, excited). Example: 他学习很勤奋。 (Tā xuéxí hěn qínfèn.) He studies very hard.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 奋 with 备 (bèi, to prepare), which also has 田 at the bottom. 奋 has 大 on top, while 备 has 夂 on top. Also keep the fourth tone: fèn, not fēn as in 分.
Common words with 奋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兴奋 | xīngfèn | excited; excitement | HSK 4 |
| 奋斗 | fèndòu | to strive; to struggle | HSK 4 |
| 勤奋 | qínfèn | hardworking; diligent | HSK 5 |
| 奋力 | fènlì | to do everything one can; to spare no effort | HSK 7-9 |
| 兴奋剂 | xīngfènjì | stimulant; doping (in athletics) | HSK 7-9 |
| 振奋 | zhènfèn | to stir oneself up; to raise one's spirits | HSK 7-9 |
| 奋勇 | fènyǒng | dauntless; to summon up courage and determination | HSK 7-9 |
| 艰苦奋斗 | jiānkǔ-fèndòu | to struggle arduously | HSK 7-9 |
| 奋战 | fènzhàn | to fight bravely; (fig.) to struggle | |
| 亢奋 | kàngfèn | excited; stimulated | |
| 孤军奋战 | gūjūnfènzhàn | lit. lone army putting up a brave fight (idiom); fig. (of a person or group of people) str | |
| 奋起 | fènqǐ | to rise vigorously; a spirited start | |
| 令人振奋 | lìngrénzhènfèn | inspiring; exciting | |
| 自告奋勇 | zìgàofènyǒng | to volunteer for; to offer to undertake |
奋 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 奋
How many strokes are in 奋?
奋 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 奋 mean?
奋 (fèn) means to strive, to exert effort; to arouse. A common word with it is 兴奋 (xīngfèn), meaning "excited; excitement".
How do you pronounce 奋?
奋 is pronounced fèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 奋?
The radical of 奋 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 奋 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 奋?
The traditional form of 奋 is 奮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 奋 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 奋 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 奋 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Can I use 奋 by itself as a verb?
Not in normal modern Chinese. Use a full word such as 奋斗 (fèndòu) or 努力 (nǔlì) instead, for example 为梦想奋斗 (wèi mèngxiǎng fèndòu), to strive for a dream.
Why does 兴奋 mean excited if 奋 means to strive?
奋 also carries the sense of rousing or stirring up energy. 兴奋 (xīngfèn) describes being stirred up emotionally, and 振奋 (zhènfèn) similarly means to raise one's spirits.