Chinese Characters

奉

PINYIN

fèng

Main meanings:

①offer with respect.
②give, present.
③receive.
④esteem, respect.
⑤believe in.

HSK - 6

STROKES - 8

RADICAL - 大

Etymology:
Elements ---- Pictogram of two hands + a flourishing branch 丰. Phonetic series 奉.

The two hands above, offer a luxuriant branch 丰 (fēng phonetic modified). Offer > give > receive > esteem, respect (the person who receives) > believe (giving in religious contexts).

Main Words:

奉献 fèngxiàn – offer with reverence (present + offer)

供奉 gòngfèng – worship (offer sacrifices + believe)

Discussion and sources

In the Small Seal character there was one more hand in the center of the pictogram. The branch, fēng , now disappeared, indicated the sound. Then, even knowing that the lower part of the present character evolved from the third hand we prefer to remember it the branch modified.

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