吩咐

• Pinyin: fēn fù
• Hanzi breakdown: 吩 = 口 + 分 (mouth + divide — to give instructions by dividing/assigning verbally); 咐 = 口 + 付 (mouth + to deliver — to verbally deliver a task or order)

Meaning

To instruct; to tell; to direct. To give instructions or orders to someone, typically from a position of authority or seniority.

Implies a top-down instruction from someone with greater authority, seniority, or responsibility. Less harsh than 命令 (to order) but more directive than 建议 (to suggest). Commonly used between employers and employees, seniors and juniors, elders and younger family members. In service contexts, also used as a polite invitation to make requests.

Examples

1. 老板在出发前往外地出差之前仔细地将下周的工作安排吩咐给了秘书，要求她在此期间全权协调各部门的日程，并将重要事项以书面形式记录备查。 Before leaving on a business trip out of town, the boss carefully instructed the secretary on next week’s work schedule, asking her to coordinate all departments’ calendars during that period and keep written records of important matters for reference.
2. 奶奶握着孙子的手吩咐他，无论以后多难，都要守住底线，别为利益做损人品的事。 Grandma held her grandson’s hand and told him that no matter how hard things got in the future, he had to hold the line and not do anything dishonorable for profit.
3. 将军在战前部署会上逐一吩咐各营任务和撤退路线，并强调通信畅通是执行计划的关键。 At the pre-battle briefing, the general assigned each battalion its mission and retreat route one by one, emphasizing that keeping communications open was key to carrying out the plan.

Usage Guide

Context: work, family, hierarchy, daily life

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 您有需要就尽管吩咐，我们会尽力安排，确保您这次访问的一切需求都及时妥当。(If you need anything, just say the word. We will do our best to arrange it and ensure everything during your visit is handled promptly and properly.)
• 父亲临终前把兄弟几人唤到床前，吩咐长子照顾好母亲和幼弟，这成了家里的精神约定。(Before dying, their father called the brothers to his bedside and instructed the eldest to care for their mother and younger brother; it became the family's lasting pact.)

Don't Say

• 吩咐 when speaking upward to a superior — it is top-down language; a subordinate should not say 我吩咐老板; use 请示 (to seek instructions) or 建议 (to suggest) when directing communication upward

Origin & History

吩 = 口 + 分 (mouth + divide — to divide and assign tasks verbally); 咐 = 口 + 付 (mouth + to deliver/hand over — to verbally hand over a task or instruction) — together: to give verbal instructions

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal