芳 meaning and stroke order
Fragrant; beautiful, virtuous
How to write 芳, 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 芳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fragrant
How 芳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flower.
艹 gives the meaning and 方 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 芳
芳 is grass 艹 on top of 方 (fāng), which gives the sound. Picture flowers and plants spreading a sweet smell in every direction (方 also means direction), and you have 芳 (fāng), fragrant.
芳 is mostly literary and appears in set words like 芬芳 (fēnfāng) and 芳香 (fāngxiāng), or in poetic praise of beauty and virtue. It is also very common in women's given names. Example: 花园里充满了芬芳。(Huāyuán lǐ chōngmǎn le fēnfāng.) The garden is full of fragrance.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 芳 with 方 (fāng) or 放 (fàng) because they sound alike. Remember that only 芳 has the grass top 艹, and that 放 has a fourth tone.
Common words with 芳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 芬芳 | fēnfāng | perfume; fragrant | HSK 7-9 |
| 芳心 | fāngxīn | the affection, or heart, of a young woman | |
| 芳香 | fāngxiāng | fragrant; aromatic |
芳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 芳
How many strokes are in 芳?
芳 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 芳 mean?
芳 (fāng) means fragrant; beautiful, virtuous. A common word with it is 芬芳 (fēnfāng), meaning "perfume; fragrant".
How do you pronounce 芳?
芳 is pronounced fāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 芳?
The radical of 芳 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 芳 under this radical.
Is 芳 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 芳 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 芳 alone to say something smells good?
Not usually in everyday speech. People say 香 (xiāng), as in 很香 (hěn xiāng). 芳 works best inside words like 芳香 or 芬芳, or in written and poetic style.
Why do so many Chinese women have 芳 in their names?
Because 芳 suggests fragrance, beauty, and good character, it is a popular choice for girls' names, such as 小芳 (Xiǎofāng). The word 芳心 (fāngxīn), a young woman's heart, carries the same feminine and gentle feeling.