副 meaning and stroke order
Secondary; auxiliary; deputy
How to write 副, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 副
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- secondary
- auxiliary
- deputy
- assistant
- vice-
- abbr. for 副詞|副词 adverb
How 副 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Knife.
刂 gives the meaning and 畐 hints at the sound.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 副
副 is pictophonetic: 畐 (fú) on the left gives the sound fù, and the knife 刂 on the right gives the meaning. Picture a knife cutting a whole into a main part and a second part, the secondary one.
副 often works like English vice- or deputy before a title, as in 副总裁 (fùzǒngcái) vice president or 副驾驶 (fùjiàshǐ) copilot. It also means secondary or side, as in 副作用 (fùzuòyòng) side effect. Example: 这种药有副作用。(Zhè zhǒng yào yǒu fùzuòyòng.) This medicine has side effects.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 副 with 福 (fú, good fortune) and 富 (fù, rich), which share the 畐 part. Remember that only 副 has the knife 刂 on the right. Also, the idiom is 名副其实 with 副, not 名符其实 or 名富其实.
Common words with 副
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 副作用 | fùzuòyòng | side effect | HSK 7-9 |
| 名副其实 | míngfùqíshí | not just in name only, but also in reality (idiom); aptly named | HSK 7-9 |
| 副本 | fùběn | copy; duplicate; transcript; (gaming) dungeon; instance; private team mission | |
| 副手 | fùshǒu | assistant | |
| 全副武装 | quánfùwǔzhuāng | fully armed; armed to the teeth | |
| 副总裁 | fùzǒngcái | vice-chairman (of an organization); vice president (of a company) | |
| 副官 | fùguān | aide-de-camp | |
| 副驾驶 | fùjiàshǐ | copilot; co-driver (abbr. for 副駕駛員|副驾驶员[fu4 jia4 shi3 yuan2]); front passenger seat (abbr. |
副 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 副
How many strokes are in 副?
副 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 副 mean?
副 (fù) means secondary; auxiliary; deputy. A common word with it is 副作用 (fùzuòyòng), meaning "side effect".
How do you pronounce 副?
副 is pronounced fù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 副?
The radical of 副 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 副 under this radical.
Is 副 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 副 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 副 be used as a measure word?
Yes. 副 (fù) counts sets or pairs of things, like 一副眼镜 (yí fù yǎnjìng) a pair of glasses or 一副手套 (yí fù shǒutào) a pair of gloves. It can also describe a facial expression, as in 一副笑脸 (yí fù xiàoliǎn) a smiling face.
What does 副本 mean in gaming?
In everyday use 副本 (fùběn) means a copy or duplicate of a document. Among gamers it means a dungeon or instance, a private area a team enters together, as in 打副本 (dǎ fùběn) to run a dungeon.