抚 meaning and stroke order
To pat, to console; to stroke, to caress
How to write 抚, 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.
- 1
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- 7
Meaning of 抚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to comfort
- to console
- to stroke
- to caress
- an old term for province or provincial governor
How 抚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 无 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 抚
抚 is a pictophonetic character: the hand radical 扌 on the left gives the meaning, and 无 (wú) on the right hints at the sound. Picture a hand gently stroking someone until their worries are gone, as if there were 无 (nothing) left to fear.
抚 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words about touching gently, comforting, and raising children, such as 抚摸 (fǔmō), 安抚 (ānfǔ), and 抚养 (fǔyǎng). Example: 她一个人把孩子抚养大。(Tā yí ge rén bǎ háizi fǔyǎng dà.) She raised the child on her own.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 抚 (fǔ) with 扶 (fú, to support with the hand), since both have 扌 and similar sounds. Remember that 扶 has 夫 on the right and a second tone, while 抚 has 无 and a third tone.
Common words with 抚
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抚养 | fǔyǎng | to foster; to bring up | HSK 7-9 |
| 抚摸 | fǔmō | to gently caress and stroke; to pet | HSK 7-9 |
| 安抚 | ānfǔ | to placate; to pacify | HSK 7-9 |
| 抚养费 | fǔyǎngfèi | child support payment (after a divorce) | HSK 7-9 |
| 抚恤 | fǔxù | (of an organization that has a duty of care) to give financial support to relatives of sb | HSK 7-9 |
| 爱抚 | àifǔ | to caress; to fondle | |
| 抚慰 | fǔwèi | to console; to comfort | |
| 抚养权 | fǔyǎngquán | custody (of a child etc) | |
| 抚恤金 | fǔxùjīn | compensation payment (for injury); relief payment | |
| 抚平 | fǔpíng | to flatten; to smooth down; to unwrinkle; (fig.) to soothe (emotional wounds); to heal (sc | |
| 轻抚 | qīngfǔ | to stroke lightly; to caress |
抚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 抚
How many strokes are in 抚?
抚 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 抚 mean?
抚 (fǔ) means to pat, to console; to stroke, to caress. A common word with it is 抚养 (fǔyǎng), meaning "to foster; to bring up".
How do you pronounce 抚?
抚 is pronounced fǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 抚?
The radical of 抚 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 抚 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 抚?
The traditional form of 抚 is 撫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 抚 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 抚 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 抚 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 抚养 and 养育?
Both mean to raise a child. 抚养 (fǔyǎng) stresses the duty of care and support, so it shows up in legal terms like 抚养权 (custody) and 抚养费 (child support). 养育 (yǎngyù) sounds warmer and focuses on nurturing and bringing up.
Can 抚摸 be used for pets as well as people?
Yes. 抚摸 (fǔmō) works for gently stroking a cat, a dog, or a person's hair or hand. In casual speech people also say 摸 (mō) for petting an animal, while 抚摸 sounds softer and a bit more written.