Meaning of 服从
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to obey (an order)
- to comply
- to defer
How to use 服从
服从 is a fairly formal verb used for orders, rules, decisions or authority, and it usually takes an object directly. It is common in contexts like the military, the workplace and organizations. Example: 士兵必须服从命令。(Shìbīng bìxū fúcóng mìnglìng.) Soldiers must obey orders.
从 (cóng) shows one person 人 walking behind another, which is a picture of following. Add 服 (fú), as in 服务 (fúwù) to serve, and 服从 means to submit and follow someone's orders.
Common mistake: Learners often use 服从 for ordinary listening to parents or teachers, where 听话 (tīnghuà) or 听 (tīng) sounds more natural, because 服从 implies submitting to authority. Also keep the tones rising on both syllables, fúcóng, and do not read 从 as the fourth tone.
服从 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
服 fú · clothes · 8 strokes
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从 cóng · from · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 服从.
| 衣服 | yīfu | clothes |
| 舒服 | shūfu | comfortable; feeling well |
| 服务 | fúwù | to serve; service |
| 从小 | cóngxiǎo | from childhood; from a young age |
| 从来 | cónglái | always; at all times |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since |
| 从前 | cóngqián | previously; formerly |
| 服装 | fúzhuāng | dress; clothing |
| 克服 | kèfú | (try to) overcome (hardships etc); to conquer |
| 从事 | cóngshì | to go for; to engage in |
| 服务员 | fúwùyuán | waiter; waitress |
| 说服 | shuōfú | to persuade; to convince |
Questions about 服从
What does 服从 mean?
服从 (fúcóng) means "to obey (an order); to comply" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 服从?
服从 is made of 2 characters: 服 (8 strokes), 从 (4 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 服从 an HSK word?
Yes. 服从 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 服从 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 服从 is written 服從.
What is the difference between 服从 and 遵守?
服从 means to obey a person, an order or a decision, as in 服从安排 (fúcóng ānpái), to accept the arrangement. 遵守 (zūnshǒu) means to abide by rules or laws, as in 遵守交通规则 (zūnshǒu jiāotōng guīzé), to follow traffic rules.
How do you say 'disobey' using 服从?
You can say 不服从 (bù fúcóng), as in 不服从命令 (bù fúcóng mìnglìng), to disobey orders. There is also the phrase 少数服从多数 (shǎoshù fúcóng duōshù), meaning the minority defers to the majority.