Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== wén: 闻 - To Hear, To Smell, News, Reputation ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** wén, 闻, how to say hear in Chinese, what does wen mean, Chinese character for smell, Chinese for news, Chinese for reputation, 新闻 (xīnwén), 丑闻 (chǒuwén), 百闻不如一见 (bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn), learn Chinese * **Summary:** Discover the versatile Chinese character 闻 (wén), a term that bridges the physical senses with abstract ideas. While its core meaning is "to hear" or "to smell," 闻 is fundamental to understanding how information is perceived and shared in Chinese culture. It forms essential words like "news" (新闻 xīnwén) and "scandal" (丑闻 chǒuwén), and anchors famous proverbs like "seeing is believing" (百闻不如一见 bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn). This page explores its origins, cultural significance, and practical use in modern Mandarin. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** wén * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK Level 4 (as part of key vocabulary like 新闻) * **Concise Definition:** To perceive something with the ears or nose; news or things that are heard; a reputation. * **In a Nutshell:** Think of 闻 (wén) as the character for "sensory information." At its most basic, it's about receiving information through your ears (hearing) or your nose (smelling). This physical act then expands to represent the information itself. What you "hear" becomes //news//, and what others "hear" about you becomes your //reputation//. While the modern word for "to listen" is 听 (tīng), 闻 retains a more formal, literary, and classical feel, making it a cornerstone of many important compound words. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **闻 (wén):** This character is a beautiful pictograph. It's composed of two parts: * **門 (mén):** The outer part, meaning "door" or "gate." * **耳 (ěr):** The inner part, meaning "ear." * The image is of an **ear (耳)** at a **door (門)**, as if someone is listening to what is happening on the other side. This vividly captures the original meaning of "to hear" or "to gather information." The meaning of "to smell" is a later extension, but the core concept of perceiving something from the outside world remains. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * **Hearsay vs. Experience:** The most famous cultural touchstone for 闻 is the proverb **百闻不如一见 (bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn)**, which translates to "hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once." This phrase is deeply ingrained in the Chinese mindset, emphasizing the value of direct, first-hand experience over secondhand reports or rumors. While Western culture has similar concepts like "seeing is believing" or the legal distinction between hearsay and eyewitness testimony, 百闻不如一见 is a piece of common, everyday wisdom that guides decision-making and skepticism. * **Reputation and "Face":** In Chinese culture, what is "heard" about a person—their reputation—is incredibly important. The concept of 闻 is directly linked to social standing and [[面子 (miànzi) - social face]]. A good reputation brings honor, while a bad one, often called a **丑闻 (chǒuwén - ugly news/scandal)**, can bring immense shame to an individual and their family. Therefore, the act of "hearing" is not just passive; it's a social force that shapes relationships and status. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * **As a Verb (To Smell):** In modern spoken Mandarin, 闻 is most frequently used to mean "to smell." It is often paired with the resultative complement 到 (dào) to indicate that the smell has been successfully perceived, or repeated as 闻闻 (wénwen) to mean "give it a sniff." * e.g., 我闻到了咖啡的香味。(Wǒ wéndào le kāfēi de xiāngwèi.) - I smell the aroma of coffee. * e.g., 你来闻闻这个。(Nǐ lái wénwen zhège.) - Come and smell this. * **As a Verb (To Hear):** Using 闻 by itself to mean "to hear" is considered very literary, formal, or archaic. You will encounter it in classical poetry, formal speeches, and set phrases, but almost never in casual conversation, where **听 (tīng)** is used instead. * **In Compound Nouns (Most Common Use):** The primary use of 闻 in modern China is as a component in two-character words related to news, information, and reputation. * **新闻 (xīnwén):** new + heard things = **news** * **丑闻 (chǒuwén):** ugly + heard things = **scandal** * **传闻 (chuánwén):** transmitted + heard things = **rumor, hearsay** * **见闻 (jiànwén):** seen + heard things = **experience, knowledge** ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 你看今天的新**闻**了吗？ * Pinyin: Nǐ kàn jīntiān de xīnwén le ma? * English: Have you read/watched today's news? * Analysis: This is the most common use of 闻 in daily life, as part of the word 新闻 (xīnwén). * **Example 2:** * 我**闻**到了一股烧焦的味道。 * Pinyin: Wǒ wéndào le yī gǔ shāojiāo de wèidào. * English: I smelled a burning odor. * Analysis: Here, 闻 is used as a verb for "to smell," combined with 到 (dào) to show the action was completed. This is a very common structure. * **Example 3:** * 这位官员陷入了腐败丑**闻**。 * Pinyin: Zhè wèi guānyuán xiànrù le fǔbài chǒuwén. * English: This official is caught up in a corruption scandal. * Analysis: 丑闻 (chǒuwén) shows the negative side of what is "heard" about someone—a scandal. * **Example 4:** * 百**闻**不如一见，你还是自己去看看吧。 * Pinyin: Bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn, nǐ háishì zìjǐ qù kànkan ba. * English: Seeing is believing; you should go and see for yourself. * Analysis: This is the classic idiom, where 闻 clearly means "to hear" in a more formal, classical sense. * **Example 5:** * 你快来**闻闻**这花香不香。 * Pinyin: Nǐ kuài lái wénwen zhè huā xiāng bu xiāng. * English: Come quick and smell these flowers, don't they smell good? * Analysis: The reduplication "闻闻" (wénwen) creates a casual, suggestive tone, like "give it a sniff" or "smell this for a moment." * **Example 6:** * 这只是个传**闻**，你别相信。 * Pinyin: Zhè zhǐshì ge chuánwén, nǐ bié xiāngxìn. * English: This is just a rumor, don't believe it. * Analysis: 传闻 (chuánwén) highlights the nature of unverified, "passed-around" information. * **Example 7:** * **闻**君一席话，胜读十年书。 * Pinyin: Wén jūn yīxí huà, shèng dú shí nián shū. * English: Hearing your words is better than studying books for ten years. * Analysis: A highly formal and complimentary set phrase. Here, 闻 means "to hear" but carries a sense of "to be enlightened by hearing." You would only use this in very specific, formal situations to praise a wise person. * **Example 8:** * 这次去中国，我增长了很多见**闻**。 * Pinyin: Zhè cì qù Zhōngguó, wǒ zēngzhǎng le hěnduō jiànwén. * English: On this trip to China, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience. * Analysis: 见闻 (jiànwén) refers to the totality of one's experiences—what one has seen and heard. * **Example 9:** * 他因其慈善事业而名**闻**天下。 * Pinyin: Tā yīn qí císhàn shìyè ér míng wén tiān xià. * English: He is world-famous for his philanthropy. * Analysis: A very formal phrase, "名闻天下" (míng wén tiān xià), literally means "name is heard under heaven." This showcases 闻's connection to fame and reputation. * **Example 10:** * 狗的鼻子很灵，能**闻**到很远的味道。 * Pinyin: Gǒu de bízi hěn líng, néng wéndào hěn yuǎn de wèidào. * English: A dog's nose is very sensitive; it can smell things from far away. * Analysis: This example again uses 闻 in its "smell" sense, emphasizing a natural ability. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **闻 (wén) vs. 听 (tīng) - "To Hear":** This is the most critical distinction for beginners. In modern spoken Chinese, **always use 听 (tīng) for the everyday act of hearing or listening.** Using 闻 for "to hear" will sound overly poetic or like you're quoting a classical text. * **Correct:** 我喜欢**听**音乐。(Wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè.) - I like to listen to music. * **Incorrect:** 我喜欢闻音乐。 (This sounds like "I like to smell music.") * **Rule of Thumb:** If you're talking about hearing a sound, a person, or music in a normal conversation, use 听 (tīng). Only use 闻 when it's part of a set word (like 新闻) or a classical proverb (like 百闻不如一见). * **Using 闻 for "To Smell":** While 闻 means "to smell," it's often more natural to use **闻到 (wéndào)** to express that you have successfully smelled something. Using 闻 alone can sometimes feel incomplete, implying the action of sniffing rather than the result of perceiving a smell. * **More Natural:** 我**闻到**煤气味了！ (Wǒ wéndào méiqìwèi le!) - I smell gas! * **Slightly Less Common:** 我**闻**煤气味。(Wǒ wén méiqìwèi.) - I am smelling the gas. (Implies the action is in progress). ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * `[[听]] (tīng)` - The standard, modern verb for "to listen" or "to hear." The everyday counterpart to the literary 闻. * `[[新闻]] (xīnwén)` - The most common word containing 闻, meaning "news." * `[[丑闻]] (chǒuwén)` - A scandal; literally "ugly news." * `[[传闻]] (chuánwén)` - A rumor; "transmitted news/information." * `[[百闻不如一见]] (bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn)` - The essential idiom: "Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once." * `[[气味]] (qìwèi)` - Smell, odor, scent. The noun for the thing that you 闻 (smell). * `[[听见]] (tīngjiàn)` - To hear (and successfully perceive) a sound. It is the resultative form of 听, just as 闻到 is for 闻. * `[[名声]] (míngshēng)` - Reputation, fame. A more direct synonym for the "reputation" meaning of 闻. * `[[见闻]] (jiànwén)` - Knowledge, experience; literally "what has been seen and heard."