闻 (wén) — to smell; to hear (literary/formal)
Definition
闻 (wén) is a formal/literary verb covering both 'to smell' and 'to hear' — most everyday speech uses 听见 for hearing and 闻到 for smelling. In set phrases like 闻名 it means 'to be well-known'.
verb
to smellto hear (literary/formal)
Examples
- 闻。Nǐ wén yī xià zhè ge cài de wèi dào.Smell the flavor of this dish.
- 。Wǒ wén dào le kā fēi de xiāng wèi.I smelled the aroma of coffee.
- 闻，。Wǒ wén cǐ yán, fēi cháng gǎn dòng.I heard these words and was very moved.
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 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.
Appears in
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