pēn / pèn
verb HSK 5 #2,726

Meanings

  1. 1 to spout; to spray; to spew
  2. 2 to puff out

Examples

Huǒshān pēn chū le yánjiāng.
The volcano spewed lava.
Tā wǎng liǎnshàng pēn le diǎn shuǐ.
She sprayed some water on her face.
Bié duì zhe rén pēn xiāngshuǐ.
Don't spray perfume at people.

Tips

usage
Online, also means to verbally attack or flame someone; 喷子 is an internet troll. The image is the same as the literal sense: words spraying out forcefully.
mistakes
Two readings. pēn = to spray / spurt (the common verb: 喷泉, 喷射). pèn = strongly fragrant or the peak season of a crop (香喷喷, 喷香). If it describes a rich smell, switch to pèn.

Components

radical
kǒu
mouth
Mouth radical on the left, the indexing radical. It supplies meaning: a is something forcefully ejected through an opening, often the mouth (sneezing, spitting, spraying). The radical also anchors it in the breath family with (blow), (spit out), (inhale).
phonetic
bēn
rush; ornate (here phonetic)
supplies the sound, with the initial drifting to give pēn. The same phonetic stem also drives (indignant) and (grave-mound). itself is a rare word meaning 'to rush forth,' a fitting flavor for breath or liquid bursting out.

Stroke Order

pēn