Meaning of 奉献
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to offer respectfully
- to consecrate
- to dedicate
- to devote
How to use 奉献
奉献 is a formal word for selflessly giving your time, effort, or life to a cause, a people, or a country. It works as a verb and also as a noun meaning "dedication." Example: 她把一生都奉献给了教育。(Tā bǎ yīshēng dōu fèngxiàn gěi le jiàoyù.) She devoted her whole life to education.
奉 (fèng) means to hold something up respectfully with both hands, and 献 (xiàn) means to offer or present. Picture yourself lifting a gift up high and presenting it: that is 奉献, giving something with deep respect.
Common mistake: Learners often use 奉献 where 贡献 (gòngxiàn) fits better. 贡献 stresses the contribution or result, while 奉献 stresses selfless, respectful giving. Also keep both syllables in fourth tone: fèngxiàn, not fēngxiàn.
奉献 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
奉 fèng · to offer · 8 strokes
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献 xiàn · to offer · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 奉献.
| 贡献 | gòngxiàn | to contribute; to dedicate |
| 无可奉告 | wúkěfènggào | (idiom) no comment |
| 供奉 | gòngfèng | to consecrate; to enshrine and worship |
| 捐献 | juānxiàn | to donate; to contribute |
| 文献 | wénxiàn | reference material (used in scholarly study) |
| 献血 | xiànxiě | to donate blood |
| 奉命 | fèngmìng | to receive orders; to follow orders |
| 献上 | xiànshàng | to offer (respectfully); to present |
| 献出 | xiànchū | to offer; to give (as tribute) |
| 信奉 | xìnfèng | belief; to believe (in sth) |
| 献身 | xiànshēn | to commit one's energy to; to devote oneself to |
| 侍奉 | shìfèng | to wait upon; to serve |
Questions about 奉献
What does 奉献 mean?
奉献 (fèngxiàn) means "to offer respectfully; to consecrate" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 奉献?
奉献 is made of 2 characters: 奉 (8 strokes), 献 (13 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 奉献 an HSK word?
Yes. 奉献 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 奉献 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 奉献 is written 奉獻.
Can I use 奉献 for everyday giving, like giving a friend a present?
No, it sounds too grand for that. For a present, use 送 (sòng) or 给 (gěi). Save 奉献 for serious, selfless devotion to a cause, a job, or other people.
What is the common structure used with 奉献?
The most common pattern is 把 + something + 奉献给 + someone or something, as in 把青春奉献给祖国 (bǎ qīngchūn fèngxiàn gěi zǔguó), to devote one's youth to the motherland. You will also hear 奉献精神 (fèngxiàn jīngshén), meaning a spirit of dedication.