铺 meaning and stroke order
To spread; to display; to set up
How to write 铺, stroke by stroke
12 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 铺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to spread
- to display
- to set up
- (old) holder for door-knocker
- plank bed
- place to sleep
- shop
- store
- (old) relay station
- variant of 鋪|铺[pu4]
How 铺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
钅 gives the meaning and 甫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 铺
铺 is pictophonetic: the metal radical 钅 hints at money, and 甫 (fǔ) gives the sound. Picture coins spread out on a shop counter, so you get both 'to spread' (pū) and 'shop' (pù).
Read it pū when it is a verb meaning to spread or lay something out, as in 铺路 (pūlù) and 铺床 (pūchuáng). Read it pù when it is a noun for a shop or a bed, as in 店铺 (diànpù) and 卧铺 (wòpù). Example: 我买了一张卧铺票。(Wǒ mǎi le yì zhāng wòpù piào.) I bought a sleeper ticket.
Common mistake: Learners often use one tone for every word. Remember the rule: verb is first tone pū (铺床), noun is fourth tone pù (床铺, 铺子). Also do not confuse it with 捕 (bǔ, to catch) or 哺 (bǔ, to feed), which share the 甫 part but have different radicals.
Common words with 铺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 卧铺 | wòpù | a bed (on a train); a couchette | HSK 6 |
| 铺路 | pūlù | to pave (with paving stones); to lay a road | HSK 7-9 |
| 店铺 | diànpù | store; shop | |
| 当铺 | dàngpù | pawnshop | |
| 床铺 | chuángpù | bed | |
| 铺子 | pùzi | store; shop | |
| 铺设 | pūshè | to lay (railroad tracks, carpet, pipeline); to install (wiring, cable) | |
| 铺床 | pūchuáng | to make a bed; to lay bedding | |
| 铺位 | pùwèi | bunk; berth |
铺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 铺
How many strokes are in 铺?
铺 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 铺 mean?
铺 (pū) means to spread; to display; to set up. A common word with it is 卧铺 (wòpù), meaning "a bed (on a train); a couchette".
How do you pronounce 铺?
铺 has more than one reading: pū and pù. The most common is pū, said in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 铺?
The radical of 铺 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 铺 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 铺?
The traditional form of 铺 is 舖 and 鋪. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 铺 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 铺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 铺 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 铺床 and 床铺?
铺床 (pūchuáng) is a verb phrase meaning to make the bed or lay out bedding. 床铺 (chuángpù) is a noun meaning a bed or bunk. The tone of 铺 changes with the role.
What does 铺设 mean and when is it used?
铺设 (pūshè) means to lay or install things over a distance, such as railway tracks, pipelines, carpet, or cables. It sounds more formal than 铺 alone and often appears in news or technical writing.