Character 奉

It means offering, serving, or receiving with respect.

Bronze inscriptions from China's Western Zhou period preserve early forms of 奉. Its older graphic form combines 廾, meaning “two hands,” with 丰 as a sound component; a later form adds 手 (“hand”), producing the standard shape.

That careful act of presenting something broadened into serving a person, receiving a superior's command, honoring a ruler or deity, and following a principle. 奉 describes something offered, upheld, or obeyed—not generic kindness.

How does 奉 vary across Chinese, Japanese, and Korean?

The surrounding language and compound settle the specific sense.

In Chinese, 奉 spans presenting an offering, serving, receiving a command, worship, and belief. Japanese compounds make the relationship concrete: 奉納 is a dedication or offering, 奉仕 is service, and 奉行 is carrying out an official duty. In Korean, 奉 is a Hanja character—the Chinese-character writing system used alongside Hangul, the Korean alphabet—and corresponds to the syllable 봉 in words such as 봉사 (service), 봉헌 (dedication), and 봉명 (acting under command).