芳 (fāng) — (bound form) fragrant; (bound form) virtuous; good (of reputation or character)
Definition
A literary bound form meaning 'fragrant' or, figuratively, 'virtuous' (used of a woman's character or a person's reputation, e.g. 芳名, 芳心). Today it almost always appears inside set compounds rather than on its own.
bound form
fragrantvirtuousgood (of reputation or character)
Examples
- 。Huā yuán lǐ mí màn zhe fāng xiāng.The garden is filled with fragrance.
- 蕙。Tā shì yí wèi fāng xīn huì zhì de nǚ zǐ.She is a woman of fragrant heart and refined character.
- 。Tā de fāng míng yuǎn bō hǎi wài.His good reputation has spread far overseas.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
芳 pairs 艸 (grass) with 方 (fāng); the 方 part gives the sound.
Appears in
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