聞

Alternative forms
This character has a slight difference between Chinese and Japanese forms.
 * In Chinese: 聞
 * in Japanese: 聞
 * in Korean: 聞

Glyph origin
. Compare.

Etymology
Probably derived from, whence 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬. The inversion of n and m in Chinese is the result of labial dissimilation or prefix-preemption.

In almost all major Tibeto-Burman languages, this etymon means only "to smell". One or other factors may help explain the application of "to hear" in Chinese. The semantic affinities of hear ~ smell have a parallel in Tibeto-Burman *na "ear ~ nose" and hence perhaps in Sino-Tibetan (see ). The Chinese stem may have converged with a Mon-Khmer etymon (cf. 🇨🇬 (ibid.). Also note 🇨🇬 which is phonologically quite close to Chinese.

Pronunciation 2 ("be heard about; renowned; fame") is a derivation of pronunciation 1, with passive suffix *-s (ibid.).

is the exoactive derivation of pronunciation 1 with suffix *-s, literally "let (me) hear" (ibid.).

Definitions

 * 1)  to hear; to listen
 * 2) to smell; to detect; to get a sniff at
 * 3)  to spread; to transmit
 * 4)  to be famous
 * 5) knowledge; expertise
 * 6) news; message
 * 1) to smell; to detect; to get a sniff at
 * 2)  to spread; to transmit
 * 3)  to be famous
 * 4) knowledge; expertise
 * 5) news; message
 * 1)  to be famous
 * 2) knowledge; expertise
 * 3) news; message
 * 1) knowledge; expertise
 * 2) news; message
 * 1) news; message

Definitions

 * 1)  reputation; renown; prestige
 * 2)  famous; renowned

Kanji

 * 1) hear