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烽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烽fēngbeacon, signal firen, 11 strokes, radical 火
烽fēngbeacon fireunknown, 11 strokes, radical 火
fēng(feng1) T1
  1. 1beacon, signal fire
  2. 2beacon fire
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

烽fēng(feng1)

The character 烽 (fēng) refers to a beacon or signal fire, historically used for communication over long distances, particularly to alert of danger or to convey military messages. It is commonly used in historical contexts or in literature describing ancient China, where beacon fires played a crucial role in defense strategies.

Strokes11Radical火
Cultural Note

In ancient China, beacon fires were crucial for military communication and were set on high ground to ensure visibility over long distances, reflecting the strategic importance of communication in warfare.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large fire on a mountain top that signals nearby towns of an approaching enemy. The character 烽 looks like a fire (火) on a mountain (山) – both essential for conveying urgent messages. The pronunciation 'fēng' can be remembered as 'firing up the signal' to alert others.

Meanings of 烽

fēng(feng1)
1beacon, signal fire
2beacon fire
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 烽

烽Simplified
11Strokes
火Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 烽

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Podcast: 烽

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AI Study Notes for 烽

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 烽 is not commonly used in everyday conversation and may appear more in literary or historical contexts. It is often paired with other words like '烽火' (signal fire) to specify its use. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding characters, which may have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Though 烽 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding its meaning can enhance your comprehension of historical texts and literature. Focus on recognizing it in context, particularly in readings about ancient military strategies.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 烽 with other characters that contain the fire radical (火) but have different meanings, such as 烈 (liè), which means 'intense'. Remember that 烽 specifically refers to a beacon or signal fire.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烽

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Etymology of 烽

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

fire

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 烽

  1. 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夆 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfire
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 烽? 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 烽?

Decomposition of 烽

IDS Structure⿰火夆
烽Full Character
=
火Huo3
left
夆feng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 烽?

How to say beacon, signal fire in Chinese

“beacon, signal fire” in Chinese is烽fēng

The character 烽 (fēng) refers to a beacon or signal fire, historically used for communication over long distances, particularly to alert of danger or to convey military messages. It is commonly used in historical contexts or in literature describing ancient China, where beacon fires played a crucial role in defense strategies.

When to use 烽

Be mindful that 烽 is not commonly used in everyday conversation and may appear more in literary or historical contexts. It is often paired with other words like '烽火' (signal fire) to specify its use. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding characters, which may have different meanings.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 烽 with other characters that contain the fire radical (火) but have different meanings, such as 烈 (liè), which means 'intense'. Remember that 烽 specifically refers to a beacon or signal fire.

Write 烽

烽

Practice writing 烽 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 烽

Words Containing This Character7
烽烟fire beacon (used as alarm signal over long distance)烽煙
烽火fire beacon (to give alarm)
烽fēngbeacon fire
息烽Xifeng county in Guiyang 貴陽|贵阳[Guì​yáng], Guizhou
息烽县Xifeng county in Guiyang 貴陽|贵阳[Guì​yáng], Guizhou息烽縣
烽燧fire beacon tower (used in frontier regions in former times to relay information about the enemy, using smoke by day and fire at night)
烽火四起the fire of war in all four directions (idiom); the confusion of war
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 烽烟 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 烽

It is pronounced as 'fēng'.

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