符咒 (fú zhòu) — (noun) talisman; magic charm (used in Taoist/folk tradition)

Definition

A 符咒 is a paper talisman inscribed with written symbols (符) and spoken spells (咒), used in Taoist and folk practice to ward off evil, heal, or bring luck. Measure word is 张, like a sheet of paper.

noun
talismanmagic charm (used in Taoist/folk tradition)
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 符咒。
    Tā qǐng le yí wèi dào shi huà le yì zhāng fú zhòu tiē zài mén kǒu.
    He asked a Taoist priest to draw a talisman and stick it on the door.
  • 符咒。
    Lǎo rén shuō zhè yí dào fú zhòu néng bǎo yòu quán jiā píng ān.
    The old man said this talisman can protect the whole family's safety.
  • 符咒。
    Tā zài miào lǐ qiú le yì zhāng fú zhòu suí shēn xié dài.
    He obtained a talisman from the temple and carries it with him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

符fútalisman
咒zhòuincantation

符 means talisman and 咒 means incantation, so 符咒 covers magic charms and spoken spells.

Characters in this word

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
付
付fù符fú
Same sound today

符 puts the bamboo form 竹, written 𥫗 on top, above 付, which gives the sound.

Open 符 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 咒 →
Appears in
Mythology & Folklore

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