扑 meaning and stroke order
To throw oneself at; to pounce on; to devote one's energies
How to write 扑, stroke by stroke
5 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 扑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to throw oneself at
- to pounce on
- to devote one's energies
- to flap
- to flutter
- to dab
How 扑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 卜 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 扑
The hand radical 扌 shows the action, and 卜 (bǔ) gives the sound. Picture a hand lunging forward to grab something, the way a cat pounces on a toy.
扑 (pū) describes throwing your whole body or effort at something, like pouncing, rushing at, or putting out a fire. It also appears in sound words and set phrases such as 扑面而来 (pūmiàn-érlái). Example: 小狗扑到我身上。(Xiǎogǒu pū dào wǒ shēnshang.) The puppy jumped onto me.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 扑 (pū) with 朴 (pǔ, simple), which has the same 卜 but uses the tree radical 木 instead of the hand 扌. Also keep the first tone: 扑 is pū, not the third tone pǔ of 朴.
Common words with 扑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 扑克 | pūkè | poker (game) (loanword); playing cards | HSK 7-9 |
| 红扑扑 | hóngpūpū | red; rosy | HSK 7-9 |
| 扑面而来 | pūmiàn-érlái | lit. sth hits one in the face; directly in one's face | HSK 7-9 |
| 扑克牌 | pūkèpái | poker (card game); playing card | |
| 扑灭 | pūmiè | to eradicate; to extinguish | |
| 扑通 | pūtōng | (onom.) sound of object falling into water; plop | |
| 相扑 | xiāngpū | sumo wrestling; also pr. [xiang4 pu1] |
扑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 扑
How many strokes are in 扑?
扑 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 扑 mean?
扑 (pū) means to throw oneself at; to pounce on; to devote one's energies. A common word with it is 扑克 (pūkè), meaning "poker (game) (loanword); playing cards".
How do you pronounce 扑?
扑 is pronounced pū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 扑?
The radical of 扑 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 扑 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 扑?
The traditional form of 扑 is 撲. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 扑 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 扑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 扑 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 扑克 mean poker?
扑克 (pūkè) is a sound loanword from English "poker". The characters were chosen for their sound, so 扑 does not mean "attack" here. You will also hear 扑克牌 (pūkèpái) for a deck of playing cards.
How is 扑 used in words like 红扑扑 and 扑通?
In 红扑扑 (hóngpūpū), the doubled 扑扑 adds a lively feel, describing rosy, glowing cheeks. In 扑通 (pūtōng), it imitates a sound, like something plopping into water. In these words 扑 works for sound or vividness, not for its meaning of attacking.