All meanings
- to hear
- news
- well-known
- famous
- reputation
- fame
- to smell
- to sniff at
In context
Example sentences
你闻一下，这朵花很香。
Nǐ wén yīxià, zhè duǒ huā hěn xiāng.
Smell this. The flower smells lovely.
Keep going
Related words
Words with 闻
Grammar notes
HSK levels
闻: HSK 5 on the old exam, HSK 4 on the new one. See where your old level lands
New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting of the new exam is announced for 13 December 2026, for HSK 1 to 6. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.
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Frequently Asked Questions
闻 (wén) means "to hear; news; well-known; famous; reputation; fame; to smell; to sniff at" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 4.
闻 is pronounced "wén" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 2.
闻 is an HSK 4 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 5 on the old exam, HSK 4 on the new one.
Common words with 闻 include 传闻 (rumor), 一无所闻 (unheard of), 不闻不问 (not to hear, not to question (idiom)), 世界闻名 (world famous), 久闻大名 (your name has been known to me for a long time (polite)).
You can practice writing 闻 using our stroke order tool.
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.