How to Write 吩 (fēn) — Meaning “to tell, to instruct”

Think of a mouth (口) saying 'fēn' which sounds like 'fun' — you are giving fun instructions to your friends. Alternatively, imagine the right side 分 as 'divide' and picture your mouth dividing sentences into clear orders.

Write 口 first (3 strokes: left vertical, top-and-right, bottom horizontal), then 分: first the top 八 (two slants) then bottom 刀 (horizontal hook and a left slash). Common mistakes include making 分's bottom look like 力 instead of 刀, or writing 口 too small.

吩 has 口 + 分, while 卟 has 口 + 卜 (a simple divination sign) and 古 has 口 + 十 (ten). Meaning-wise, 吩 is used for instructing, 卟 is rare and for sounds, and 古 means ancient. Visually, 吩 has more strokes and a wider right side.

吩 is almost always part of the word 吩咐 (fēn fù), meaning 'to instruct' or 'to command.' You will hear it in everyday speech, like '他吩咐我打扫房间' (he told me to clean the room). It is never used alone, only in this compound word.

Common words containing 吩 include: 吩咐 (fēn fù) — to instruct, to command; 吩咐下 (fēn fù xià) — to give orders, to instruct; 听吩咐 (tīng fēn fù) — to obey orders, to take instructions.