HanziGuru.锋 · fēng
锋
fēng[feng1]Tone 1

point of a spear

HSK 6
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鋒
Guru Deep Dive

English · point of a spear

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:12
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (钅) is compressed to occupy about one-third of the horizontal space, leaving the right component (逢-ish structure) wider and balanced to prevent the character from leaning.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 鋒 uses the traditional metal radical 金 on the left, which was simplified to 钅 in the modern form.
1. Meaning

sharp edge or point of a tool or weapon

vanguard or forefront of a movementforward player position in sports
NounNeutralBound morpheme#weapons#tools#military#sports
Sample Usage
  • 冲锋
    chōng fēng
    to charge forward, to make an assault
  • 笔锋
    bǐ fēng
    point of a writing brush, literary style or vigor
2. Sound
/[fɤŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
锋
fēngfeng1
++
¯(55)
=fēng
Initial Consonant
f
Type: Labiodental Fricative
Sounds like: f sound as in English 'fox'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Continuous smooth friction.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Upper teeth gently touching the lower lip
Final Rhyme
eng
Vowel Group: -e vowel group
Sounds like: eng rhymes with sung
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'uhng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, level pitch, similar to the flat, sustained tone of voice when you say 'Aha!' in realization before dropping off.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the '-eng' final with '-ang' or '-ong'. Ensure the vowel has a central schwa quality rather than an open 'a' or rounded 'o'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Hold your hand flat and high in the air, moving it in a straight horizontal line to mirror the high level pitch of Tone 1.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (钅) is compressed to occupy about one-third of the horizontal space, leaving the right component (逢-ish structure) wider and balanced to prevent the character from leaning.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 鋒 uses the traditional metal radical 金 on the left, which was simplified to 钅 in the modern form.

4. Components

Radical 钅 · Metal Radical (metal, gold, or cutting implements)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 钅 (indicates that the character relates to metal objects, blades, or weapons)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 逢 (original sound: féng)

A metal object (钅) shaped and sharpened to a point, sounding like féng.

  • 钅 metal / weapon
  • 丰 abundant / plant sprout rising upward (providing phonetics and a sense of tapering upward)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the metal radical (金/钅) representing weapons and tools, and a phonetic element giving the sound 'fēng'. Originally denoted the razor-sharp edge of a blade or spearhead.

Semantic Evolution: From the physical sharp point of a weapon, it expanded to describe the sharp tip of anything (like a brush), and further metaphorically to the vanguard of an army or a sports team.

  • In ancient military strategy, '先锋' (xiānfēng) referred to the frontline vanguard troops who engaged the enemy first.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ホウ / Kun: き先
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
봉
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a soldier holding a heavy METAL (钅) spear whose TIP (锋) is so sharp it cuts through the wind with a high whistling sound (fēng).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
蜂
fēngbee, waspReplaces the metal radical with the insect radical (虫), because bees have a sharp stinger.
缝
féngto sew, seamUses the silk/thread radical (纟) because sewing involves threads.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
蜂(fēng)
锋 uses metal (钅) for sharp spear points; 蜂 uses insect (虫) for stinging bees.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
他在球队里担任前[___]。
Clue: fēng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing it with 蜂 (bee) due to identical pinyin, forgetting that the metal radical indicates a sharp blade or weapon.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 锋 mean when combined with metal (钅)?
Production: How do you write the character for 'spear point / vanguard' pronounced fēng?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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