訪 (fǎng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

訪

fǎng[fang3]Tone 3

visit, inquire

HSK 3

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访

Guru Deep Dive

English · visit, inquire

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:6

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (方) two-thirds of the space, keeping both parts vertically balanced.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 訪 uses 言 (speech radical) on the left, which is simplified to 讠 (the two-stroke simplified speech radical) in modern Chinese.

1. Meaning

to visit, to call on, to seek by inquiry

to interviewto explore

VerbFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#action#communication#social interaction

Sample Usage

访问
fǎngwèn
to visit, to interview
采访
cǎifǎng
to interview (as a journalist)

2. Sound

/[faŋ²¹⁴]/Tone: 214

訪

fǎngfang3

ˇ(214)

=fǎng

Initial Consonant

Type: Labiodental Fricative

Sounds like: f sound like in English 'fish'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Continuous smooth friction.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Upper teeth touch lower lip gently, continuous labiodental fricative.

Final Rhyme

ang

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: ang rhymes with 'ahng' (open 'a' followed by back nasal 'ng')

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahng'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T3 (214)

2 → 1 → 4 (214)

3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts mid-high, dips low down to the floor, and rises back up, just like saying 'What?' in disbelief.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 3 syllable, fǎng changes to a Tone 2 (35) rising pitch.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse fǎng (Tone 3) with fāng (Tone 1, square/direction) or fàng (Tone 4, to release). Pay close attention to the dipping-rising contour.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down from your chest level and sweep sharply up to your eye level.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (方) two-thirds of the space, keeping both parts vertically balanced.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 訪 uses 言 (speech radical) on the left, which is simplified to 讠 (the two-stroke simplified speech radical) in modern Chinese.

4. Components

Radical 讠 · Speech Radical (Words, speaking, language, communication)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 讠 (Indicates that the action involves speech, asking, or inquiring.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 方 (original sound: fāng)

You use your words (讠) to go in every direction (方) to seek out answers and visit people.

讠 Speech or asking
方 Direction or place

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

20· Phonetic Root: 方 (fāng)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the speech radical (讠) indicating verbal inquiry and the phonetic element (方) which originally depicted a plough or spread out directions, signifying traveling out to ask questions.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meaning to consult or inquire of wise people, it broadened to mean visiting people and journalistic interviewing in modern times.

In ancient times, rulers would send officials out to 'visit' commoners to gather news and opinions.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ホウ / Kun: たず.ねる

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

To **VISIT** someone (*fǎng*), you use your **SPEECH** radical (讠) to ask for directions to every **DIRECTION** (方).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

访

fǎngto visitBase character with speech radical

芳

fāngfragrantReplaced speech radical with grass radical (艹)

防

fángto defend/preventReplaced speech radical with mound radical (阝)

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

防(fáng)

防 has the mound/wall radical (阝), meaning defense/protection, whereas 访 has the speech radical (讠), meaning asking/visiting.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他明天要去[___]他的老朋友。

Clue: fǎng

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the phonetic right side 方 with 房 (fáng - room) or mixing up tone 3 with tone 1 when pronouncing fǎng.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 访 mean when you see it combined in 访问 (fǎngwèn)?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to visit / to inquire' (fǎng) using the speech radical?

訪fǎngvisit, inquire

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