fēng
noun HSK 1 #1,507

Measure Word

zhèn

Meanings

  1. 1 wind
  2. 2 breeze

Characters

Simplified from — the force that moves insects () through the air.

Examples

Jīntiān fēng hěn dà.
The wind is very strong today.
Wàimiàn yǒu fēng ma?
Is it windy outside?
Yī zhèn fēng chuī guòlái le.
A gust of wind blew over.

Tips

history
The traditional character contains (insect) inside — ancient Chinese believed insects appeared when the wind blew in spring, connecting wind to the cycle of life.
culture
风水 (literally 'wind-water') is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging spaces for harmony and good fortune. The concept has spread worldwide.

Components

pictograph
fēng
wind
Simplified from traditional in the 1956 reform. The original had outside and inside, since ancient Chinese believed wind summoned insects. The modern stylised silhouette keeps only the outer canopy; the inner is graphic residue, so is treated as a single self-pictograph.

In Pop Culture

Fēng zhī Gǔ
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Studio Ghibli animated film, hugely popular in China.
Dà fēng gē
Song of the Great Wind
Famous poem by Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty.

Stroke Order

fēng