fēn
noun #42,890

Meanings

  1. 1 atmosphere; ambiance
  2. 2 miasma; vapor

Examples

HSK 3
Jiàoshì lǐ de fēnwéi hěn jǐnzhāng.
The atmosphere in the classroom is tense.
HSK 4
Jiérì de qìfēn hěn nóng.
The festive atmosphere is strong.

Tips

usage
Almost always used in 气氛 or 氛围, both meaning atmosphere/ambiance.

Components

radical
vapor; air
Vapor radical wrapping from the top-right, the indexing radical. It pictures rising steam or clouds drifting on the wind. Files with air, hydrogen, chlorine. The whole graph names something atmospheric - exactly what 'ambiance' is: air with a mood.
phonetic
fēn
to divide; portion
Inside the vapor frame, supplies the fēn sound exactly. There's a thin semantic echo too - 'a particular share' of air, the distinct mood that hangs over a place. But mainly read here as the phonetic. Same root: powder, numerous, fragrant.

Stroke Order

fēn