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浦 (pǔ) — water's edge, river mouth (in place names); surname Pu

Definition

A bound form meaning 'river bank / water's edge' (e.g. 浦江, 浦东). It survives mainly in place names and as the surname 浦, not used as a standalone noun.

bound form
water's edgeriver mouth (in place names)surname Pu

Examples

  • 浦。
    pǔ Dōng shì shàng hǎi de yí gè zhòng yào qū yù.
    Pudong is an important area of Shanghai.
  • 浦，。
    Tā xìng pǔ, shì wǒ men gōng sī de jīng lǐ.
    His surname is Pu, and he is the manager of our company.
  • 浦。
    pǔ Jiāng yán àn de yè jǐng fēi cháng piào liang.
    The night scenery along the Pu River is very beautiful.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
甫
甫fǔ浦pǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浦 combines 氵 (water) with 甫, which provides the sound.

Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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