撫 meaning and stroke order
To pat, to console; to stroke, to caress
How to write 撫, stroke by stroke
15 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 撫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to comfort
- to console
- to stroke
- to caress
- an old term for province or provincial governor
How 撫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 無 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 撫
撫 combines the hand 扌 with 無 (wú), which gives the sound. Picture a hand gently stroking someone until their worries are gone, as if they have 無 (nothing) left to fear.
撫 is the traditional form of 抚, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It appears in words about gentle touch, like 撫摸 (fǔmō), and about caring for or comforting people, like 撫養 (fǔyǎng) and 安撫 (ānfǔ). Example: 她輕輕撫摸小貓。(Tā qīngqīng fǔmō xiǎo māo.) She gently strokes the kitten.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 撫 with 舞 (wǔ, to dance), since both contain a similar 無-like shape. 撫 has the hand radical 扌 on the left and is read in the third tone, fǔ, not wǔ.
Common words with 撫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 撫養 | fǔyǎng | to foster; to bring up | HSK 7-9 |
| 撫摸 | fǔmō | to gently caress and stroke; to pet | HSK 7-9 |
| 安撫 | ānfǔ | to placate; to pacify | HSK 7-9 |
| 撫養費 | fǔyǎngfèi | child support payment (after a divorce) | HSK 7-9 |
| 撫卹 | fǔxù | (of an organization that has a duty of care) to give financial support to relatives of sb | HSK 7-9 |
| 愛撫 | àifǔ | to caress; to fondle | |
| 撫慰 | fǔwèi | to console; to comfort | |
| 撫養權 | fǔyǎngquán | custody (of a child etc) | |
| 撫恤金 | fǔxùjīn | compensation payment (for injury); relief payment | |
| 撫平 | fǔpíng | to flatten; to smooth down; to unwrinkle; (fig.) to soothe (emotional wounds); to heal (sc | |
| 輕撫 | qīngfǔ | to stroke lightly; to caress |
Questions about 撫
How many strokes are in 撫?
撫 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 撫 mean?
撫 (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 撫?
撫 is pronounced fǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 撫?
The radical of 撫 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 撫 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 撫?
撫 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 抚, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 撫養 and 扶養?
撫養 (fǔyǎng) usually means raising children who are younger than you. 扶養 (fúyǎng) is often used in legal language in Taiwan for supporting family members more broadly, such as a spouse or parents.
Did 撫 have an official meaning in old China?
Yes. In older Chinese, 撫 could refer to a province or a provincial governor, as in the title 巡撫 (xúnfǔ). You will mostly see this in historical texts.