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March 24, 2026
焚fén(fen2)
The character 焚 (fén) specifically means 'to burn' and is often used in contexts related to fire or destruction through burning. It can refer to the act of incinerating something intentionally, such as burning waste or offerings in rituals.
Strokes12Radical火Frequency#12528DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, burning incense and offerings is a common practice during festivals and ancestor worship. The character 焚 is often seen in discussions of these rituals, emphasizing the importance of fire in spiritual and cultural contexts.
Memory Tip
Imagine a fire (火) consuming a pile of leaves (木). The character 焚 combines the fire radical (火) with a component that resembles a tree. Visualize this scene to remember that 'to burn' relates closely to fire impacting nature.
Meanings of 焚
fén(fen2)
1to burn
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 焚
焚Simplified
12Strokes
火Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 焚
Podcast: 焚
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AI Study Notes for 焚
Quick Contrast
焚 (fén, to burn) vs 烧 (shāo, to cook/burn) — use 焚 for intentional burning, often with a ritual or destructive connotation, while 烧 is more general and can refer to cooking or heating.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 焚 with similar characters like 烧 (shāo), which also means 'to burn' but often implies cooking or heating. 焚 is more formal and typically used in written Chinese or specific contexts like literature or legal terms.
HSK Study Tips
Though not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners at HSK 4-5 can benefit from understanding this character as it relates to fire (火) and can connect to words like 烧 (shāo) and 灭 (miè), which means 'to extinguish'. Focus on context and usage in phrases.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 焚 in casual conversation, opting for 烧 instead, which is more appropriate for informal contexts. For example, saying '我想焚这个食物' (wǒ xiǎng fén zhège shíwù) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想烧这个食物' (wǒ xiǎng shāo zhège shíwù).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 焚
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2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 焚? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 焚?
Decomposition of 焚
IDS Structure⿱林火
焚Full Character
=
林Lin2
top
火Huo3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 焚?
How to say to burn in Chinese
“to burn” in Chinese is焚fén
The character 焚 (fén) specifically means 'to burn' and is often used in contexts related to fire or destruction through burning. It can refer to the act of incinerating something intentionally, such as burning waste or offerings in rituals.
When to use 焚
Be careful not to confuse 焚 with similar characters like 烧 (shāo), which also means 'to burn' but often implies cooking or heating. 焚 is more formal and typically used in written Chinese or specific contexts like literature or legal terms.
焚 or something close to it
焚 (fén, to burn) vs 烧 (shāo, to cook/burn) — use 焚 for intentional burning, often with a ritual or destructive connotation, while 烧 is more general and can refer to cooking or heating.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 焚 in casual conversation, opting for 烧 instead, which is more appropriate for informal contexts. For example, saying '我想焚这个食物' (wǒ xiǎng fén zhège shíwù) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我想烧这个食物' (wǒ xiǎng shāo zhège shíwù).
Write 焚
焚
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Practice writing 焚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 焚
焚 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
他们纵火____烧了停在那幢大楼外的车辆。
They set fire to vehicles outside that building.
Example Sentences for 焚 (6)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们纵火焚烧了停在那幢大楼外的车辆。
tā mén zòng huǒ fén shāo le tíng zài nà chuáng dà lóu wài de chē liàng。
They set fire to vehicles outside that building.
2
相反, 他们一路东撤, 沿途焚毁庄稼和民居.
xiāng fǎn, , tā mén yī lù dōng, chè , yán tú fén huǐ zhuāng jià hé.
Instead, they retreated eastward, burning their crops and homes as they went.
