俯 (fǔ) — to lower (one's head); to bow
Definition
Bound morpheme meaning 'to bow / lower (the head or body)', always part of a verb like 俯身, 俯视, or 俯冲. Never used alone.
bound form
to lower (one's head)to bow
Easily confused
- 府fǔlook-alike(bound form) seat of government; government office
- 父fǔsound-alike(bound form, literary) old man, elder (in respectful compounds)
- 辅fǔsound-alike(bound form) to assist, to aid, to complement
- 斧fǔsound-alikeax, hatchet (bound form, used in compounds)
- 抚fǔsound-aliketo stroke or touch gently (with the hand)
- 腐fǔsound-alikerotten, putrid, decayed (physical)
Examples
- ，。Cóng shān dǐng fǔ shì, zhěng gè chéng shì jìn shōu yǎn dǐ.From the mountaintop looking down, the entire city comes into full view.
- 。Tā fǔ shēn jiǎn qǐ le dì shàng de yào shi.He bent down and picked up the keys on the floor.
- ，。Lǎo yīng cóng gāo kōng fǔ chōng ér xià, zhuā zhù le liè wù.The eagle dove down from the sky and caught its prey.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
勹勹bāoperson bending over
俯 uses 府 to show the sound fǔ and 勹 to show a person bending over; the modern left side comes from 勹.
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