喷

• Pinyin: pēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 喷 = 口 (mouth) + 賁 (phonetic), to spray/spurt

Meaning

To spray; to spurt; to gush. Liquid or gas coming out forcefully in a stream.

Used for water fountains (喷泉), spray bottles (喷雾), volcanoes erupting, and even metaphorically for strongly criticizing (网上喷人 online flaming). Also describes sneezing (打喷嚏) where air is expelled forcefully.

Examples

1. 花园里的喷泉正在喷水。 The fountain in the garden is spraying water.
2. 她往空气中喷了一些香水。 She sprayed some perfume into the air.
3. 火山喷出大量的岩浆和火山灰。 The volcano spewed large amounts of lava and volcanic ash.

Usage Guide

Context: gardening, cosmetics, nature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 喷点水让植物保持湿润。(Spray some water to keep the plants moist.)
• 别对着人喷香水。(Don't spray perfume at people.)

Don't Say

• 我喷了一本书。(喷 is for liquids/gases, not solid objects — use appropriate verb)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 口 (mouth) + 賁 (phonetic). Forceful expulsion from an opening.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal