风

• Pinyin: fēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 风 = simplified from 風; outer frame represents moving air

Meaning

Wind; breeze. Refers to the natural movement of air.

Used for literal wind in weather contexts. Also appears in many compounds: 风景 (scenery), 风格 (style), 台风 (typhoon), 风俗 (customs). In weather talk, 刮风 means 'the wind blows' or 'it's windy.'

Examples

1. 今天风很大。 The wind is very strong today.
2. 外面刮风了。 It's windy outside.
3. 风把我的帽子吹走了。 The wind blew my hat away.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, nature

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 今天风好大啊！(The wind is really strong today!)
• 外面有点儿风。(It's a bit windy outside.)

Don't Say

• 风很多。(Don't say wind is 'many' — say 风很大 for strong wind)

Origin & History

The traditional form 風 contains 虫 (insect) inside, from an ancient belief that wind carried insects. The simplified form 风 keeps only the outer frame.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal