凤 (fèng) is a Chinese character meaning “phoenix (the Chinese mythical bird)”. It is written from 几 (small table; how many) and 又 (again), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “phoenix”
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Structure
几 + 又
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿵几又，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 四笔笔画核验：几 2 笔 + 又 2 笔）
Memory aid
The 几 sweeps over like a folded wing, and under that canopy sits a single 又 hand. Both parts are really in this character: the phoenix has tucked itself in small.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 凤凰fèng huángphoenix (the Chinese mythical bird)凤 = fèng
- 龙凤lóng fèngdragon and phoenix — a classic auspicious pair凤 = fèng
Go deeper
All readings
phoenix
phoenix (the Chinese mythical bird); originally the male phoenix
传说中的百鸟之王，雄的叫凤，雌的叫凰。常用来象征吉祥、尊贵。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 凤凰fèng huángphoenix (the Chinese mythical bird)凤 = fèng
- 龙凤lóng fèngdragon and phoenix — a classic auspicious pair凤 = fèng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 凤 mean?
凤 (fèng) means phoenix (the Chinese mythical bird); originally the male phoenix.
How do you pronounce 凤?
It is pronounced fèng.
What parts is 凤 made of?
几 (small table; how many) and 又 (again), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿵几又，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 四笔笔画核验：几 2 笔 + 又 2 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 凤 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 凤?
几. 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 凤?
Common ones are 凤凰 and 龙凤. The reading of 凤 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.