闻 (wén)

In Chinese, "闻" is a verb that means "to smell" or "to hear". It is used to indicate the action of perceiving scents or sounds. Below are detailed usages of "闻".

1. To Smell

"闻" is used to indicate the action of smelling or detecting scents or odors with the nose. It implies the sense of olfaction. For example:

• 我闻到了花香。 (Wǒ wén dàole huāxiāng.) — I smell the fragrance of flowers. (lit. I smell the fragrance of flowers.)
• 狗的嗅觉很灵敏，能够闻到很远的气味。 (Gǒu de xiùjué hěn língmǐn, nénggòu wén dào hěn yuǎn de qìwèi.) — Dogs have a keen sense of smell and can detect scents from far away. (lit. Dogs' sense of smell is very sensitive, can smell very distant odors.)

2. To Hear

"闻" can also be used to indicate the action of hearing or listening to sounds with the ears. It implies the sense of audition. For example:

• 他听到了远处传来的音乐。 (Tā tīng dàole yuǎnchù chuán lái de yīnyuè.) — He hears the music coming from afar. (lit. He hears the music coming from afar.)
• 孩子们在院子里玩耍的欢乐声让人感到愉悦。 (Háizi men zài yuànzi lǐ wánshuǎ de huānlè shēng ràng rén gǎndào yúyuè.) — The joyful laughter of the children playing in the yard brings joy to people. (lit. The joyful laughter of the children playing in the yard makes people feel joyful.)