Back to dictionary
JLPT N312画 · 12 strokesradical 奠grade 6freq #1500

to arouse, to inspire

On'yomi (音読み)

  • フン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • ふる.う
  • 奮い立つ

Mnemonic

To inspire, picture a giant (大) standing firm (いち) and ready to fight two (ふた) dragons, arousing courage in all who see him.

About this kanji

The kanji 奮 (fun) primarily means to arouse or inspire. It is often used in both verbs and nouns. For example, 奮闘 (ふんとう) means "struggle," indicating a strong effort to overcome challenges. Another compound, 奮起 (ふんき), translates to "rallying," referring to the act of inspiring oneself or others to take action. Additionally, 奮発 (ふんぱつ) means "to splurge" or to spend lavishly, often to celebrate or reward oneself. When using this kanji, it's important to note that it conveys a sense of energy and enthusiasm, making it ideal for contexts where motivation is key.

Built from

いちふた

Example sentences

  • 気持ちを奮い立たせる。

    I motivate myself.

Meanings across languages

English
to arouse, to inspire
Tiếng Việt
khuyến khích, hăng hái
日本語
奮起する, 奮闘する
한국어
고무시키다
中文
激发
id
membangkitkan
th
ปลุกเร้า
es
incitar
fr
éveiller
de
wecken
pt
despertar

Common compounds

  • 奮闘ふんとうstruggle, endeavor
  • 奮起ふんきrallying, revival
  • 奮発ふんぱつto splurge, to be generous

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.