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March 24, 2026
粉fěn(fen3)
The character 粉 (fěn) primarily means 'powder' and can refer to various types of powders, including cosmetic face powder and food products made from starch, like noodles. It is commonly used in contexts related to cooking, cosmetics, and even construction materials like plaster.
Strokes10Radical米Frequency#3839DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, 粉 is not just about cooking; it also plays a role in beauty standards, where cosmetic powders are used extensively in traditional and modern makeup routines. Additionally, the color pink (粉红) is often associated with femininity and love in Chinese culture.
Memory Tip
Imagine a fine dusting of pink powder being sprinkled on a cake. The character 粉 has a 'powdery' look, with the top part suggesting something light and fine, and the bottom part resembling a container holding that powder. Picture a cake being decorated with a pink powder to help remember the pronunciation 'fěn'.
Meanings of 粉
fěn(fen3)
1powder
2cosmetic face powder
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 粉
粉Simplified
10Strokes
米Radical
名形词xíngróngcíadj-noun (adj.-n.)Part of Speech
#3839Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2
Podcast: 粉
Podcast: 粉
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AI Study Notes for 粉
Quick Contrast
面粉 (miànfěn, flour) vs. 糖粉 (tángfěn, powdered sugar) — use 粉 (fěn) for general powder, while 面粉 specifies flour and 糖粉 specifies powdered sugar.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 粉 with 面 (miàn), which also relates to flour but refers more specifically to noodles or dough. 粉 is typically used in informal settings, while more specific terms may be used in formal contexts. Be careful with the third tone in 'fěn' as it can sound similar to the first tone if pronounced quickly.
HSK Study Tips
While 粉 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to other food-related terms and cooking vocabulary that may appear in HSK levels. Students should focus on context and collocations, such as 粉丝 (fěnsī - glass noodles) and 粉红 (fěnhóng - pink).
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 粉 when referring directly to flour for baking, instead of using 面 (miàn) for flour-based products. For instance, saying '我需要粉来做蛋糕' (wǒ xūyào fěn lái zuò dàn gāo) suggesting 'I need powder to make a cake' can be incorrect; it should be '我需要面来做蛋糕'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 粉
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Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 分 represents the sound.
1The meaning half米 carries the sense.
2The sound half分 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaygrain
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 粉? 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 粉?
Decomposition of 粉
IDS Structure⿰米分
粉Full Character
=
米Mi3
left
分fen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 粉?
How to say powder in Chinese
“powder” in Chinese is粉fěn
The character 粉 (fěn) primarily means 'powder' and can refer to various types of powders, including cosmetic face powder and food products made from starch, like noodles. It is commonly used in contexts related to cooking, cosmetics, and even construction materials like plaster.
When to use 粉
Learners often confuse 粉 with 面 (miàn), which also relates to flour but refers more specifically to noodles or dough. 粉 is typically used in informal settings, while more specific terms may be used in formal contexts. Be careful with the third tone in 'fěn' as it can sound similar to the first tone if pronounced quickly.
粉 or something close to it
面粉 (miànfěn, flour) vs. 糖粉 (tángfěn, powdered sugar) — use 粉 (fěn) for general powder, while 面粉 specifies flour and 糖粉 specifies powdered sugar.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 粉 when referring directly to flour for baking, instead of using 面 (miàn) for flour-based products. For instance, saying '我需要粉来做蛋糕' (wǒ xūyào fěn lái zuò dàn gāo) suggesting 'I need powder to make a cake' can be incorrect; it should be '我需要面来做蛋糕'.
Write 粉
粉
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Practice writing 粉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 粉
粉 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. 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
无论你如何____饰，银行就是为了放贷而生的。
However you dress it up, a bank only exists to lend money.
Example Sentences for 粉 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
无论你如何粉饰，银行就是为了放贷而生的。
wú lùn nǐ rú hé fěn shì， ， yín háng jiù shì wéi le fàng dài ér shēng。
However you dress it up, a bank only exists to lend money.
