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訪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
訪fǎngto visit; to inquire, to askx, 11 strokes, radical 言
fǎng(fang3) T3
  1. 1to visit; to inquire, to ask
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

訪fǎng(fang3)

The character 訪 (fǎng) means 'to visit' or 'to inquire.' It is commonly used in contexts involving social visits or formal inquiries, such as visiting a friend or interviewing someone for information. The nuance of this character conveys a sense of purposeful engagement, rather than a casual drop-in.

Strokes11Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, visiting friends and family is a significant social practice, often associated with maintaining relationships and showing respect. The concept of 'visiting' is considered important, particularly during festivals and holidays.

Memory Tip

Imagine a friendly visitor coming to your door (the character's shape resembles a doorway) to ask questions about your life. The '口' (kǒu) radical suggests speaking, while '訪' suggests the action of visiting, highlighting the interactive nature of both visiting and inquiring.

Meanings of 訪

fǎng(fang3)
1to visit; to inquire, to ask
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 訪

訪Simplified
11Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 訪

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Podcast: 訪

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 訪

Quick Contrast

探 (tàn) - use 訪 (fǎng) when emphasizing a formal or purposeful visit, whereas 探 (tàn) suggests a more exploratory or casual visit.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 訪 (fǎng) with 逢 (féng), which means 'to meet.' 訪 is more appropriate in contexts of visiting someone for a purpose, while 逢 implies a chance encounter. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so adjust your tone accordingly.

HSK Study Tips

While 訪 is not in the HSK levels, it connects well with other HSK vocabulary related to social interactions and travel. Students should focus on its usage in complete sentences to practice contextually appropriate expressions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 訪 with 拜 (bài), which also means 'to visit' but carries a more formal tone, such as paying respects. For example, saying 拜我的朋友 (bài wǒ de péngyǒu) is incorrect; use 訪 instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 訪

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Etymology of 訪

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 方 represents the sound. Simplified form of 訪.

Memory Hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)言
+
Phonetic (sound)方
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 訪

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 方 represents the sound. Simplified form of 訪.

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half方 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 訪? 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 訪?

Decomposition of 訪

IDS Structure⿰言方
訪Full Character
=
言yan2
left
方Fang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 訪?

How to say to visit; to inquire, to ask in Chinese

“to visit; to inquire, to ask” in Chinese is訪fǎng

The character 訪 (fǎng) means 'to visit' or 'to inquire.' It is commonly used in contexts involving social visits or formal inquiries, such as visiting a friend or interviewing someone for information. The nuance of this character conveys a sense of purposeful engagement, rather than a casual drop-in.

When to use 訪

Be cautious not to confuse 訪 (fǎng) with 逢 (féng), which means 'to meet.' 訪 is more appropriate in contexts of visiting someone for a purpose, while 逢 implies a chance encounter. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so adjust your tone accordingly.

訪 or something close to it

探 (tàn) - use 訪 (fǎng) when emphasizing a formal or purposeful visit, whereas 探 (tàn) suggests a more exploratory or casual visit.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 訪 with 拜 (bài), which also means 'to visit' but carries a more formal tone, such as paying respects. For example, saying 拜我的朋友 (bài wǒ de péngyǒu) is incorrect; use 訪 instead.

Write 訪

訪

Practice writing 訪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 訪

Words Containing This Character20
采访cǎifǎngto interview採訪
访问fǎngwènto visit訪問
拜访bàifǎngto pay a visit拜訪
访fǎngto visit訪
来访láifǎngto pay a visit來訪
访谈fǎngtánto interview訪談
专访special interview專訪
探访to call on探訪
走访to visit走訪
随访to accompany隨訪
信访complaint letter信訪
造访to visit造訪
上访to seek an audience with higher-ups (esp. government officials) to petition for sth上訪
来访者visitor來訪者
出访chūfǎngto go and visit in an official capacity or for investigation出訪
到访to pay a visit到訪
回访(pay a) return visit回訪
寻访to inquire after尋訪
互访hùfǎngexchange visits互訪
访客visitor訪客
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 采访 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 訪

Yes, 訪 can be used in both formal inquiries and casual visits.

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