妇 (fù) — woman (bound form, used in compounds); wife (bound form, used in compounds like 夫妇)
Definition
Bound form meaning 'woman' or 'wife' — almost never used alone; appears mainly in compounds like 妇女 (women) and 夫妇 (husband and wife).
bound form
woman (bound form, used in compounds)wife (bound form, used in compounds like 夫妇)
Examples
- ，。fù Nǚ jié dào le, wǒ men gěi mā ma mǎi le lǐ wù.Women's Day came, we bought gifts for mom.
- 妇。Zhè duì fù fū hěn ēn ài.This couple (husband and wife) is very affectionate.
- 。Nà wèi yùn fù yǐ jīng huái yùn bā gè yuè le.That pregnant woman is already eight months pregnant.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 婦; 妇 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
帚
帚zhǒu婦fù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 婦 pairs 女 (woman) with 帚 (broom), and the Shuowen reads it as a woman holding a broom. The simplified 妇 is a shorthand.
Appears in
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