孵 meaning and stroke order
To brood over eggs, to incubate, to hatch
How to write 孵, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
Meaning of 孵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- breeding
- to incubate
- to hatch
How 孵 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To brood 孚 over eggs 卵.
Radical: 子 (son), shared by 30 characters on this site.
How to remember 孵
On the left is 卵 (luǎn), an egg. On the right is 孚 (fú), which shows a hand over a child, like a bird brooding, so together the character means sitting on eggs until they hatch.
孵 (fū) almost always appears in the word 孵化 (fūhuà), used for eggs hatching and, by extension, for startups and ideas being nurtured. Example: 小鸡孵出来了。(Xiǎo jī fū chūlái le.) The chicks have hatched.
Common mistake: Learners often read 孵 as fú because its component 孚 is fú, but 孵 is first tone fū. Also do not confuse the left part 卵 with 印 (yìn). 卵 has two inner dots.
Common words with 孵
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 孵化 | fūhuà | breeding; to incubate | HSK 7-9 |
孵 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 孵
How many strokes are in 孵?
孵 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 孵 mean?
孵 (fū) means to brood over eggs, to incubate, to hatch. A common word with it is 孵化 (fūhuà), meaning "breeding; to incubate".
How do you pronounce 孵?
孵 is pronounced fū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 孵?
The radical of 孵 is 子, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 孵 under this radical.
Is 孵 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 孵 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 孵化器 mean?
孵化器 (fūhuàqì) is an incubator. It can be a machine for hatching eggs, and it is also the common term for a business incubator that supports new companies.
How do you say a hen is sitting on eggs?
You can say 母鸡在孵蛋 (mǔjī zài fū dàn), the hen is sitting on eggs. 孵蛋 (fū dàn) is the everyday verb phrase for brooding eggs.