扶 meaning and stroke order
To support with the hand; to help sb up; to support oneself by holding onto something
How to write 扶, stroke by stroke
7 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 扶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to support with the hand
- to help sb up
- to support oneself by holding onto something
- to help
How 扶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 夫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 扶
扶 combines the hand radical 扌 with 夫 (fū), which gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to hold up a man (夫) so he does not fall.
扶 is used for physically supporting someone or something with your hand, and also figuratively for helping or assisting, as in 扶持 (fúchí). You will often see it with 起来 or 着. Example: 我扶你起来。(Wǒ fú nǐ qǐlái.) Let me help you up.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 扶 with 找 (zhǎo, to look for) or 技 (jì), since all three have the hand radical. Check that the right side is 夫, which has a top stroke poking through, not 天 or 支.
Common words with 扶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
扶 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 扶
How many strokes are in 扶?
扶 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 扶 mean?
扶 (fú) means to support with the hand; to help sb up; to support oneself by holding onto something. A common word with it is 扶持 (fúchí), meaning "to help; to assist".
How do you pronounce 扶?
扶 is pronounced fú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 扶?
The radical of 扶 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 扶 under this radical.
Is 扶 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 扶 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 扶 and 帮 when meaning help?
帮 (bāng) is general help with any task. 扶 usually means supporting with the hand, like steadying someone who is walking. Figurative 扶 appears mostly in set words like 扶持 or 扶贫 (fúpín, poverty relief).
How do I say hold onto the handrail?
You can say 扶好扶手 (fú hǎo fúshǒu), a phrase often heard on buses, escalators and subways in China. Here 扶 means holding onto something to support yourself.