闻 meaning and stroke order
To hear; news; well-known
How to write 闻, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 9
Meaning of 闻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hear
- news
- well-known
- famous
- reputation
- fame
How 闻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ear.
耳 gives the meaning and 门 hints at the sound.
Radical: 门 (gate), shared by 47 characters on this site.
How to remember 闻
An ear 耳 (ěr) pressed against a door 门 (mén) is listening for news. The ear gives the meaning, and 门 gives a sound hint close to wén.
In modern Mandarin, 闻 (wén) most often means to smell, while "to hear" survives mainly in words like 新闻 (xīnwén) and idioms like 耳闻目睹. Example: 你闻一下这个花。(Nǐ wén yíxià zhège huā.) Smell this flower.
Common mistake: Learners often use 闻 for everyday hearing, but in speech you say 听 (tīng) or 听见 (tīngjiàn), and 闻 alone means to smell. Also do not confuse 闻 with 问 (wèn, to ask), which has a mouth 口 inside the door and a fourth tone.
Common words with 闻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 新闻 | xīnwén | news | HSK 2 |
| 传闻 | chuánwén | rumor | HSK 7-9 |
| 丑闻 | chǒuwén | scandal | HSK 7-9 |
| 闻名 | wénmíng | well-known; famous | HSK 7-9 |
| 绯闻 | fēiwén | sex scandal | HSK 7-9 |
| 骇人听闻 | hàiréntīngwén | shocking; horrifying | HSK 7-9 |
| 默默无闻 | mòmò-wúwén | (idiom) unknown; unrenowned | HSK 7-9 |
| 耳闻目睹 | ěrwén-mùdǔ | to witness personally | HSK 7-9 |
| 孤陋寡闻 | gūlòu-guǎwén | ignorant and inexperienced; ill-informed and narrow-minded | HSK 7-9 |
| 举世闻名 | jǔshì-wénmíng | world-famous (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 远近闻名 | yuǎnjìn-wénmíng | to be known far and wide; to be well-known | HSK 7-9 |
| 闻到 | wéndào | to smell; to sniff sth out | |
| 难闻 | nánwén | unpleasant smell; stink | |
| 听闻 | tīngwén | to listen; to hear what sb says |
闻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 闻
How many strokes are in 闻?
闻 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 闻 mean?
闻 (wén) means to hear; news; well-known. A common word with it is 新闻 (xīnwén), meaning "news".
How do you pronounce 闻?
闻 is pronounced wén, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 闻?
The radical of 闻 is 门, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 闻 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 闻?
The traditional form of 闻 is 聞. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 闻 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 闻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 闻 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say "to smell" something in Chinese?
Use 闻 (wén) as a verb, as in 闻一闻 (wén yi wén), take a sniff. To say something smells good, use 好闻 (hǎowén) or 很香 (hěn xiāng).
Why does 新闻 mean news if 闻 means to smell?
In older Chinese, 闻 mainly meant to hear. So 新闻 (xīnwén) is literally "newly heard things". The same older sense shows up in 传闻 (chuánwén), rumor, and 闻名 (wénmíng), famous.