抚 (fǔ) is a verb covering gentle physical stroking, emotional comforting, and nurturing. You can use it for touching something softly with your hand, for consoling someone, or for raising a child. It often appears in compounds such as 抚摸 (to stroke), 抚慰 (to console), and 抚养 (to raise). As a standalone verb, it tends to be used in literary or formal contexts.