How to say “function” in Chinese

功能

gōngnéng

function

noun · HSK 5 · topic “Gadgets and the internet”

“Function” in Chinese is 功能, gōng néng: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

功能 is read gōng néng: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

gōng — 1st tonehigh and level, like a long note

néng — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

功

gōng — merit; work, effort

On the left, 工 gōng “work” hints at the sound; on the right, 力 “strength”.

能

néng — can, be able

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “功能”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 功能. Tap the sound icon to listen.

这个手机的功能很多zhègeshǒujīdegōngnénghěnduōThis phone has lots of features.
这个功能是用来录音的zhègegōngnéngshìyòngláilùyīndeThis feature is for recording sound.
这是一台多功能打印机。zhèshìyìtáiduōgōngnéngdǎyìnjīThis is a multifunction printer.

More words from the lesson “What it's for”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “function” in Chinese?

“Function” in Chinese is 功能, pinyin gōngnéng.

What does 功能 mean?

功能 (gōngnéng) means “function”.

How do you write 功能?

功能 is 2 characters: 功 (gōng) — merit; work, effort; 能 (néng) — can, be able. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 功能?

功能 is read gōngnéng. Tones: gōng — first tone, néng — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“function” in the lesson “What it's for”

This word is from the topic “Gadgets and the internet” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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