Meaning
奋 primarily means to exert effort or strive with vigor. It rarely appears alone in modern Mandarin but is a key component in many compound words related to effort, struggle, and vigorous action. The character conveys a sense of rousing oneself or raising one's spirit to act energetically.
Usage
This character is almost always used as part of compound words rather than standalone. Native speakers commonly use it in formal or literary contexts when describing determined effort or struggle. Common compounds include 奋斗 (to struggle/strive), 奋力 (with all one's strength), and 兴奋 (excited).
Examples
- 01我们要为实现目标而奋斗。.We must strive to achieve our goals.
- 02他奋力向前游去。.He swam forward with all his strength.
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 奮 shows a bird (隹) with the radical for big/great (大) and field (田), suggesting the image of a bird powerfully raising itself in flight, metaphorically extended to mean exerting effort or rousing oneself.