坟 (fén) — grave; tomb
Definition
坟 (fén) means grave or tomb — essentially the same meaning as 墓, and the two are often combined as 坟墓. In modern usage 坟 is a less formal, everyday word for a burial mound.
noun
gravetomb
Measure word · 座
Easily confused
Examples
- ，坟。Qīng míng jié nà tiān, wǒ men yì jiā rén qù shān shàng gěi zǔ xiān sǎo fén.On Qingming Festival, our family went up the mountain to sweep the ancestors' graves.
- 坟，。Zhè piàn shān pō shàng yǒu shí jǐ zuò fén, pái liè dé hěn zhěng qí.There are over a dozen tombs on this hillside, arranged very neatly.
- 坟。Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài gōng dì fù jìn fā xiàn le yí zuò gǔ fén.Archaeologists discovered an ancient tomb near the construction site.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 墳; 坟 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
賁
賁bì墳fén
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
For the traditional form 墳, 土 shows the meaning and 賁 gives the sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.