How to Write 闻 (wén) — Meaning “To smell; to hear; news”

Picture yourself standing at a door (门) with your ear (耳) pressed against it, trying to hear (闻) what’s happening inside. Alternatively, imagine sniffing the air at the door to catch a smell (闻味), which works for the 'smell' meaning too.

Pay attention to the door radical 门: write the dot first, then vertical stroke, then the horizontal hook. The ear part 耳 inside has six strokes and must be centered—keep its horizontal lines parallel and not too long. A common mistake is making the ear too tall or touching the door frame.

闻 has an ear (耳) inside, meaning 'hear/smell' and is very common. 闰 (rùn) has a king (王) inside and means 'intercalary' (as in leap month). 闱 (wéi) has leather (韦) inside and refers to the side doors of a palace. The visual difference is the inner component, and only 闻 is used in everyday HSK-level vocabulary.

闻 appears in common words like 新闻 (news), 闻味 (to smell an odor), and 听闻 (to hear). It is also used in formal expressions such as 闻讯 (hear the news) and in idioms like 闻鸡起舞 (to rise at cock’s crow and practice), showing diligence.

Common words containing 闻 include: 新闻 (xīn wén) — news; 闻味 (wén wèi) — To smell an odor; 听闻 (tīng wén) — to hear; news.