About
The character 闻, with its traditional form 聞, is an ideogrammatic and phono-semantic compound that illustrates a sensory act. Its structure places the ear radical 耳 (ěr) inside the enclosure of 门 (mén, simplified) or 門 (traditional), depicting someone pressing an ear to a door to listen intently. This image establishes the core meaning of hearing or listening. From this auditory sense, the character's meaning uniquely extended to include the olfactory sense, becoming the standard verb for smelling. Furthermore, the concept of receiving information through hearing led to its common use as a noun for news, information, and current events.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
新闻很有趣。
我闻到花香。
你闻过这种味道吗？
他闻名于全国。
我每天看新闻。
闻到怪味，他检查了厨房。
新闻报导了这次重要事件。
从未闻过如此美妙的气味。