How to Write 凤 (fèng) — Meaning “phoenix”

Imagine a phoenix with a crown (the top part 几 looks like a crest) and a tail (the bottom part 又 looks like curved feathers). Alternatively, picture a phoenix standing on a small table (几) and raising one claw (又) — both shapes together create a simple image of the bird.

The stroke order is: write the top part 几 first with a left-falling stroke (丿) then a horizontal hook (乚), followed by the bottom part 又 with a horizontal left-falling stroke then a right-falling stroke (捺). A common mistake is making the bottom 又 too wide or misaligning it — keep it centered under the top 几 for a balanced shape.

The character 几 (jǐ, meaning small table) is just the top part of 凤 with no bottom component. 凡 (fán, meaning ordinary) looks like 几 but has a small dot (丶) inside the curve, while 凤 has the component 又 instead of a dot. So remember: no dot and a hand underneath means phoenix (凤).

凤 is used in common words like 凤凰 (fèng huáng, phoenix), 凤梨 (fèng lí, pineapple), and 龙凤胎 (lóng fèng tāi, boy-girl twins). Culturally, the phoenix represents beauty and good luck, often paired with the dragon (龙) in wedding decorations or names, but the character itself is not part of the HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 凤 include: 凤凰 (fèng huáng) — phoenix; 凤梨 (fèng lí) — pineapple; 龙凤胎 (lóng fèng tāi) — fraternal twins (boy and girl).