斧 (fǔ) — ax, hatchet (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

斧 (fǔ) is a bound form meaning 'axe/hatchet' — it doesn't stand alone but appears in compounds like 斧头 (axe) and 斧子 (hatchet, more colloquial). 斧头 is the standard everyday word for the tool.

bound form
axhatchet (bound form, used in compounds)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè bǎ fǔ tóu hěn fēng lì.
    This axe is very sharp.
  • 。
    Tā yòng fǔ zi kǎn le hěn duō chái.
    He used an axe to chop a lot of firewood.
  • 。
    Zhè bǎ fǔ tóu de bǐng duàn le.
    The handle of this axe is broken.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most 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
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
父
父fù斧fǔ
Same sound today

斧 combines 斤, an axe, with 父, which gives the sound.

Appears in
Miscellaneous Objects

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