夫 (fū) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

夫

fū[fu1]Tone 1

husband, man

HSK 3

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · husband, man

Cached lesson

1 / 1

Topology:Single character

Strokes:4

Writing Balance Rule: Write the top horizontal line slightly shorter, the second horizontal line wider to form the shoulders, and let the sweeping vertical-slash pierce down through the center.

1. Meaning

husband

manmanual workerconscripted laborer (historical)

NounNeutral#family#society#labor

Sample Usage

我的丈夫是一名医生。
wǒ de zhūfū shì yī míng yīshēng.
My husband is a doctor.
功夫不负有心人。
gōngfu bù fù yǒu xīn rén.
Constant effort yields success.

2. Sound

/[fu⁵⁵]/Tone: 55

夫

fūfu1

¯(55)

=fū

Initial Consonant

Type: Labiodental Fricative

Sounds like: f sound in English 'fall'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Continuous smooth friction.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Top teeth resting gently on the inner lower lip, blowing air continuously.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound in English 'boot'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T1 (55)

5 → 5 (55)

1st Tone (High-Flat)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high at the top of your vocal range, like a sustained musical note.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the high level Tone 1 with Tone 4 if clipped too quickly; make sure to sustain the pitch without dropping.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A high, flat, level pitch held steady like a singer hitting a high note at the top of their range.

3. Writing

Topology: Single character · Strokes: 4 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Write the top horizontal line slightly shorter, the second horizontal line wider to form the shoulders, and let the sweeping vertical-slash pierce down through the center.

4. Components

Radical 大 · Big Radical (big, person, adult)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 大 (Represents an adult person standing tall)

An adult person ('大') with a horizontal pin or hairpin across the top (一), indicating a grown man who has reached adulthood and assumed societal duties.

一 Hairpin or head ornament indicating an adult
大 A grown person standing

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

11· Phonetic Root: 夫 (fū)

5. History

Liushu category: Indicative (指事)

Origin: Originally depicted a grown man standing with a horizontal stroke across his head or hair, signifying a mature adult male who has undergone capping ceremonies to mark adulthood.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from a general mature man to specifically a husband ('丈夫'), a laborer, or used as a demonstrative particle in classical texts.

In ancient China, reaching adulthood meant wearing a hair clasp, which is why the character adds a stroke atop '大'.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: フ (fu) / Kun: おっと (otto)

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

A grown adult man ('大') with a crown or hat on top ('一') stands proudly as the head of the household, serving as a dependable husband.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

失

shīto loseLike '夫' but the top horizontal line drops down and bends into a hook.

天

tiānsky, heavenHas two horizontal strokes above the person instead of one.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

天(tiān)

'天' has two horizontal strokes at the top (sky above man), whereas '夫' has only one (man with a hair clasp).

失(shī)

'失' drops the top horizontal line down into a slanted hook, changing the meaning entirely to 'lose'.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我的[___]是一名工程师。

Clue: fū

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the top stroke count with '天' (tiān) or '失' (shī), leading to incorrect stroke order or mixing up entirely different characters.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see '夫', what does it mean as an independent noun or part of '丈夫'?

Production: How do you write the character for 'husband/man' using '大' with a top stroke?

夫fūhusband, man

Speed:

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