奔

2 readings · tap one to hear it

to hurry; to rush; to run quickly; to elope

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A man 大 running through a field of grass 卉

Components 大卉

dash · Heisig RSH #1872

St. Bernard dog + haystack

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
东奔西走	dōng bēn xī zǒu	to run this way and that (idiom); to rush about busily; to bustle about; to hopscotch; als…
奔头儿	bèn tou r	erhua variant of 奔頭\|奔头[ben4 tou5]
喜大普奔	xǐ dà pǔ bēn	(of news etc) so thrilling that everyone is rejoicing and spreading the word (Internet sla…
伯罗奔尼撒	Bó luó bēn ní sā	Peloponnese, peninsula in southern Greece
东奔西跑	dōng bēn xī pǎo	to run this way and that (idiom); to rush about busily; to bustle about
奔走相告	bēn zǒu xiāng gào	to spread the news (idiom)
各奔东西	gè bèn dōng xī	to go separate ways (idiom); to part ways with sb; Taiwan pr. [ge4 ben1 dong1 xi1]
连奔带跑	lián bēn dài pǎo	to run quickly; to rush; to gallop
奔头	bèn tou	sth to strive for; prospect
奔马	bēn mǎ	(literary) (swift like a) speeding horse
奔三	bèn sān	to be pushing 30
出奔	chū bēn	to flee; to escape into exile
万马奔腾	wàn mǎ bēn téng	lit. (like) ten thousand horses galloping (idiom); fig. going full steam ahead
奔流	bēn liú	to flow at great speed; to pour; racing current
各奔前程	gè bèn qián chéng	each goes his own way (idiom); each person has his own life to lead
奔波	bēn bō	to rush about; to be constantly on the move
四散奔逃	sì sàn bēn táo	to scatter in all directions
奔月	bèn yuè	to fly to the moon
奔四	bèn sì	to be pushing 40
奔放	bēn fàng	bold and unrestrained; untrammeled

These characters use 奔 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
奔 sound part	bēn	to rush about; to run, to flee
锛	bēn	adze