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闻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
闻wénsurname WenHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénto hearHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénnewsHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénwell-knownHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénfamousHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénreputationHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénfameHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénto smellHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénto sniff atHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
闻wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make knownHSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 门, rank #1234, Medium
wén(Wen2) T2
  1. 1to hear
  2. 2news
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
闻(聞)wén(Wen2)

闻 (wén) primarily means 'to hear' or 'to smell.' It can also refer to news or reputation, conveying the idea of becoming aware of something through sound or scent. This character is commonly used in contexts involving communication or sensory perception.

Strokes9Radical门Frequency#1234DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of '闻' extends to the importance of reputation and how it affects social interactions. For instance, knowing someone's reputation (闻名) can significantly influence business dealings and personal relationships.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dog sniffing around and suddenly hearing a familiar sound. The character 闻 combines the door (门) and the sound (耳), suggesting that something comes in through the door to be heard or smelled. Think of 'wén' as 'when' you hear the news or smell something interesting.

Meanings of 闻

wén(Wen2)
1to hear
2news
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 闻

闻Simplified
聞Traditional
9Strokes
门Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1234Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 闻

JasonAmy

Podcast: 闻

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 闻

Quick Contrast

闻 (wén) vs 听 (tīng): Use 闻 when referring to perceiving sounds or scents, while 听 specifically relates to the act of listening.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a dog sniffing around and suddenly hearing a familiar sound. The character 闻 combines the door (门) and the sound (耳), suggesting that something comes in through the door to be heard or smelled. Think of 'wén' as 'when' you hear the news or smell something interesting.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 闻 with 听 (tīng), which specifically means 'to listen.' 闻 is more associated with the act of becoming aware of something. In formal contexts, it is often used in phrases like '闻名' (wénmíng) meaning 'well-known' or 'famous.'

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 闻 connects well with other sensory verbs like 听 (tīng) and 看 (kàn). Students should focus on its uses in idiomatic expressions and different contexts, such as news (新闻, xīnwén) and reputation (名声, míngshēng).

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of '闻' extends to the importance of reputation and how it affects social interactions. For instance, knowing someone's reputation (闻名) can significantly influence business dealings and personal relationships.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 闻 with 听 when discussing auditory experiences. For example, saying '我闻音乐' (I smell music) is incorrect; it should be '我听音乐' (I listen to music).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 闻

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Etymology of 闻

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

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 门 represents the sound. Simplified form of 聞.

Memory Hint

ear

Semantic (meaning)耳
+
Phonetic (sound)门
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 闻?

Decomposition of 闻

IDS Structure⿵门耳
闻Full Character
=
门Men2
enclosing
耳er3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 闻?

Write 闻

闻

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 闻

闻 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. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons4
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

Used to emphasize the action of smelling or hearing something.

这是我闻到的花香。

zhè shì wǒ wén dào de huā xiāng.

This is the fragrance of the flowers that I smelled.

Exercise 1 of 1

Build the Sentence

This is the fragrance of the flowers that I smelled.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Common Confusions with 闻

闻vs问
wèn

They sound similar but have different meanings.

闻 means to smell, while 听 means to hear.

1

我闻到花香。我听到音乐。

闻 means to smell, while 听 means to hear.

💡Remember: you use your nose for 闻 and your ears for 听.
Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to hear"?

or

Usage Notes for 闻

Usage of 闻Grammar Tip

When using 闻 to indicate smelling something, it often appears in a structure that emphasizes the experience.

1

他闻到了美味的食物。

He smelled the delicious food.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

他____到了美味的食物。

He smelled the delicious food.

Example Sentences for 闻 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我用短波收音机收听最新的战事新闻。

wǒ yòng duǎn bō shōu yīn jī shōu tīng zuì xīn de zhàn shì xīn wén。

I use the short-wave radio to get the latest war news.
2
有关财务丑闻的谣言接连不断地冒出来。

yǒu guān cái wù chǒu wén de yáo yán jiē lián bù duàn dì mào chū lái。

Rumours of financial scandals have come bubbling back to the surface.
3
类似劳埃德保险公司的那些丑闻令伦敦名声扫地。

lèi sì láo āi dé bǎo xiǎn gōng sī de nà xiē chǒu wén líng lún dūn míng shēng sǎo dì。

The City's reputation has been sullied by scandals like those at Lloyd's.
4
这份报纸的调查性新闻报道为其赢得了尊敬。

zhè fèn bào zhǐ de tiáo chá xìng xīn wén bào dào wéi qí yíng dé le zūn jìng。

The paper has earned respect for its investigative journalism.
5
他同意发布一篇新的新闻稿。

tā tóng yì fā bù yī piān xīn de xīn wén gǎo。

He gave the okay to issue a new press release.
6
他闻到一股浓浓的油烟味。

tā wén dào yī gǔ nóng nóng de yóu yān wèi。

He was acutely aware of the odour of cooking oil.
7
这档新闻节目每周在黄金时段播出4次。

zhè dàng xīn wén jié mù měi zhōu zài huáng jīn shí duàn bō chū4 4。

The news programme goes out four times a week at peak time.
8
在新闻部员工中已经在转发一封电子邮件,呼吁大家自愿裁汰.

zài xīn wén bù yuán gōng zhōng yǐ jīng zài zhuǎn fā yī fēng diàn zǐ yóu jiàn, , hū xū dà jiā zì yuàn cái.

An e-mail is already circulating amongst news staff calling for voluntary redundancies.
9
我认为新闻记者不应当有丝毫偏见。

wǒ rèn wéi xīn wén jì zhě bù yīng dāng yǒu sī háo piān jiàn。

I believe that a journalist should be completely objective.
10
然而，很多顾客觉得该产品有一股异味，非常难闻。

rán ér， ， hěn duō gù kè jué dé gāi chǎn pǐn yǒu yī gǔ yì， wèi ， fēi cháng。

However, many customers found the smell of this product distinctly off-putting.

Cultural Notes for 闻

💡Did you know?

In Chinese culture, the act of smelling is often associated with appreciating food. For example, the aroma of food is considered an integral part of the dining experience, enhancing the flavors even before tasting.

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of '闻' extends to the importance of reputation and how it affects social interactions. For instance, knowing someone's reputation (闻名) can significantly influence business dealings and personal relationships.

Word Family of 闻

Words Containing This Character20
新闻xīnwénnews新聞
闻wénnews聞
新闻发布会news conference新聞發布會
传闻chuánwénrumor傳聞
丑闻chǒuwénscandal醜聞
闻到to smell聞到
绯闻fēiwénsex scandal緋聞
闻名wénmíngwell-known聞名
新闻界the press新聞界
闻言to have heard what was said聞言
难闻stink難聞
闻讯to receive news (of)聞訊
新闻记者journalist新聞記者
默默无闻mòmòwúwéna nobody默默無聞
耳闻to hear of耳聞
不闻不问uncritical不聞不問
骇人听闻hàiréntīngwénshocking駭人聽聞
听闻to listen聽聞
所见所闻what one hears and sees (idiom)所見所聞
闻所未闻unheard of聞所未聞
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 新闻 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 闻

Some common phrases include '闻名' (wénmíng), meaning 'well-known,' and '耳闻' (ěrwén), which means 'to hear about.' These phrases highlight the character's association with fame and information.