抚 (fǔ) — to stroke or touch gently (with the hand); to comfort or console; to nurture, foster, or bring up
Definition
Written/literary verb meaning 'to stroke, comfort, or nurture' — not everyday spoken. Often appears in set compounds like 抚摸, 抚慰, 抚养, 抚育.
verb
to stroke or touch gently (with the hand)to comfort or consoleto nurturefosteror bring up
Examples
- 抚。Tā qīng qīng fǔ guò hái zi de liǎn.She gently stroked the child's face.
- 。Tā de gǔ lì fǔ wèi le wǒ de xīn.His encouragement comforted my heart.
- 。Tā fǔ yǎng le liǎng gè gū ér.She raised two orphans.
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 撫; 抚 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú撫fǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 撫 pairs 手 (hand) with 無 for the sound; the simplified 抚 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.
Appears in
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