How to Write 奋 (fèn) — Meaning “to exert oneself / to act vigorously”

Picture a big (大) farmer sweating as he plows a field (田) — this image of hard effort will help you recall the character. The combination of 'big' and 'field' directly reminds you of striving and working vigorously.

Write the top part 大 first, making it wide enough to cover the 田 below. A common mistake is making 大 too narrow, which throws off the balance. The 田 should be centered under 大, with all strokes clean and evenly spaced.

奋 has 大 (big) over 田 (field), while 买 (mǎi) has a horizontal line on top of a different bottom shape (头). 夷 (yí) also has 大 but below it is 弓 (bow), not 田. Focus on the bottom part: 田 (field) means 奋 is about hard work, while 买 is about buying and 夷 means smooth or barbarian.

奋 appears in common words like 奋斗 (strive), 兴奋 (excited), and 勤奋 (diligent). It is often used in motivational contexts, such as encouraging hard work for success, and 奋斗 is a core value in Chinese culture symbolizing perseverance.

Common words containing 奋 include: 奋斗 (fèn dòu) — to struggle / to strive; 兴奋 (xīng fèn) — Excited; 勤奋 (qín fèn) — hardworking.