奮 meaning and stroke order
To strive, to exert effort; to arouse
How to write 奮, stroke by stroke
16 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 奮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exert oneself (bound form)
How 奮 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 奮
Picture a man 大 at the top, a bird 隹 in the middle, and a farm field 田 at the bottom. The man works hard on his field, so the character means to strive and put in effort.
奮 (fèn) is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 奮鬥 (fèndòu, to strive), 勤奮 (qínfèn, diligent), and 興奮 (xīngfèn, excited). Example: 他每天都很勤奮。(Tā měitiān dōu hěn qínfèn.) He is very hardworking every day.
Common mistake: Learners often say 興奮 with the wrong tones. It is xīngfèn, first tone then fourth, not xìngfèn. Also do not mix up 奮 with 奪 (duó, to seize), which shares 大 and 隹 on top but ends in 寸 instead of 田.
Common words with 奮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 興奮 | xīngfèn | excited; excitement | HSK 4 |
| 奮鬥 | fèndòu | to strive; to struggle | HSK 4 |
| 勤奮 | qínfèn | hardworking; diligent | HSK 5 |
| 奮力 | fènlì | to do everything one can; to spare no effort | HSK 7-9 |
| 興奮劑 | xīngfènjì | stimulant; doping (in athletics) | HSK 7-9 |
| 振奮 | zhènfèn | to stir oneself up; to raise one's spirits | HSK 7-9 |
| 奮勇 | fènyǒng | dauntless; to summon up courage and determination | HSK 7-9 |
| 艱苦奮鬥 | jiānkǔ-fèndòu | to struggle arduously | HSK 7-9 |
| 奮戰 | fènzhàn | to fight bravely; (fig.) to struggle | |
| 亢奮 | kàngfèn | excited; stimulated | |
| 孤軍奮戰 | gūjūnfènzhàn | lit. lone army putting up a brave fight (idiom); fig. (of a person or group of people) str | |
| 奮起 | fènqǐ | to rise vigorously; a spirited start | |
| 令人振奮 | lìngrénzhènfèn | inspiring; exciting | |
| 自告奮勇 | zìgàofènyǒng | to volunteer for; to offer to undertake |
Questions about 奮
How many strokes are in 奮?
奮 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 奮 mean?
奮 (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 奮?
奮 is pronounced fèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 奮?
The radical of 奮 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 奮 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 奮?
奮 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 奋, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 奮 be used alone as a verb?
Not in normal modern speech. It is a bound form, so use a full word such as 奮鬥 (fèndòu) or 奮力 (fènlì) instead. You will only see it alone in set phrases or formal writing.
What is the difference between 興奮 and 振奮?
興奮 (xīngfèn) describes feeling excited, often about something fun or upcoming. 振奮 (zhènfèn) means to be inspired or have your spirits lifted, often by news, a speech, or a victory.