Definitions

fén (noun) grave; tomb
fén (noun) mound; embankment

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 坟 (fén) serves as a noun meaning a grave, tomb, or burial mound. Its traditional form, 墳, is composed of the semantic earth radical 土 on the left, indicating its connection to soil and ground structures, with the phonetic component 賁 on the right. In the simplified form 坟, the radical 土 is retained to preserve the semantic link, while the complex right-hand component is replaced by the simpler character 文, which now acts as the phonetic element. Historically, the term originally referred to any elevated mound or raised bank, later narrowing to specifically denote mounds constructed for burials.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

山后有一座

Shān hòu yǒu yī zuò fén.

There is a grave behind the mountain.

那座古老的墓很小。

Nà zuò gǔlǎo de fénmù hěn xiǎo.

That ancient grave is very small.

清明节我们去扫

Qīngmíng jié wǒmen qù sǎo fén.

We go to sweep the grave on Qingming Festival.

这片场已经荒废了。

Zhè piàn fénchǎng yǐjīng huāngfèi le.

This cemetery has already been abandoned.

他把鲜花放在前。

Tā bǎ xiānhuā fàng zài fén qián.

He placed fresh flowers in front of the grave.

关于这座孤有个传说。

Guānyú zhè zuò gūfén yǒu gè chuánshuō.

There is a legend about this solitary grave.

战争留下的无名冢很多。

Zhànzhēng liú xià de wúmíng fénzhǒng hěnduō.

There are many unnamed graves left by the war.

他在祖父的前默默追思了很久。

Tā zài zǔfù de fén qián mòmò zhuīsī le hěn jiǔ.

He silently reminisced for a long time in front of his grandfather's grave.