吩 (fēn) is a Chinese character meaning “to instruct”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 分 (to divide; a share), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to instruct”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 分
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形构形分析（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：⿰口分，3+4=7 画；笔画 0–2 为「口」，笔画 3–6 为「分」）；只描述今形，不追溯古字来源
Memory aid
A mouth 口 that hands out 分 — shares, portions of the work. 分 is also carrying the sound: 分 is fēn and 吩 is fēn, the same syllable and the same tone. When someone divides up the jobs out loud, they are giving instructions.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 吩咐fēn fùto instruct; to tell someone to do something吩 = fēn
Go deeper
All readings
to instruct
to instruct; to tell someone to do something — used in the word 吩咐 (fēn fù)
口头指派、嘱咐别人做事，主要用于「吩咐」一词。 — studyhanzi 编写（现代常用义，未追溯古义）
Words with this reading
- 吩咐fēn fùto instruct; to tell someone to do something吩 = fēn
Sound component
分 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 吩 mean?
吩 (fēn) means to instruct; to tell someone to do something — used in the word 吩咐 (fēn fù).
How do you pronounce 吩?
It is pronounced fēn.
What parts is 吩 made of?
口 (mouth) and 分 (to divide; a share), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形构形分析（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：⿰口分，3+4=7 画；笔画 0–2 为「口」，笔画 3–6 为「分」）；只描述今形，不追溯古字来源. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 吩 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 吩?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 吩?
Common ones are 吩咐. The reading of 吩 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.