HanziGuru.扶 · fú
扶
fú[fu2]Tone 2

to support with the hand

HSK 5
Guru Deep Dive

English · to support with the hand

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (Hand radical 扌) must be narrower and positioned slightly higher to leave ample room for the right-hand phonetic component (夫).
1. Meaning

to support with the hand, help someone up, or steady oneself by holding onto something

to foster or minister toto minister to people in need
VerbNeutral#physical action#assistance#human movement
Sample Usage
  • 请扶我一把。
    Qǐng fú wǒ yī bǎ.
    Please help me up / give me a hand.
  • 他扶着老人家过马路。
    Tā fúzhe lǎorénjiā guò mǎlù.
    He is helping the elderly person cross the street.
2. Sound
/[fu³⁵]/Tone: 35
扶
fúfu2
++
´(35)
=fú
Initial Consonant
f
Type: Labiodental Fricative
Sounds like: f sound as in 'fun'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Continuous smooth friction.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Upper teeth touch the inner lower lip; air continuously passes through to create a fricative sound.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: oo sound as in 'boot' or 'moon'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts at a mid pitch and rises sharply to the top, exactly like asking 'What?' in English disbelief.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rising Tone 2 (fú) with Tone 4 (fù), mistaking a helpful support gesture for a falling tone command.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture moving upward from chest level to eye level, matching the questioning upward pitch of Tone 2.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (Hand radical 扌) must be narrower and positioned slightly higher to leave ample room for the right-hand phonetic component (夫).

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand Radical (Hand action or manual manipulation)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (Indicates that the action is performed using the hand (supporting someone).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 夫 (original sound: fū)

A hand (扌) reaches out to prop up a person (夫) who might be falling or needs steadying.

  • 扌 Hand component indicating physical assistance
  • 夫 Phonetic and structural component providing the 'fú' sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) showing physical action and the character for adult male / husband (夫) providing the phonetic reading, illustrating the ancient concept of lending a hand to support someone.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred strictly to physical holding or supporting with the hand; later generalized to helping, assisting, or steadying objects like bicycles or railings.

  • The phonetic element 夫 also carries connotations of a grown man, implying the strength required to lift or support someone.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
phù
Mandarin rising tone (35) corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi or rising nuances depending on dialect context.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: フ (fu) / Kun: たす.ける (tasu.keru)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
부
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'f' and final 'u' remain consistent across modern borrowings and related East Asian vocabulary roots.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a husband (夫) stumbling on the sidewalk, so you quickly extend your hand (扌) to gently **support** (fú) him upright.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
肤
fūskinUses the flesh/moon radical (月) instead of the hand radical (扌).
麸
fūbranUses the wheat radical (麦) on the left.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
夫(fū)
夫 lacks the left hand radical (扌) and means 'husband' or 'man'.
服(fú)
服 has the moon/flesh radical (月) on the left instead of a hand (扌) and means 'clothes' or 'obey'.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
老奶奶走路不方便，我去[___]她一把。
Clue: fú
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the hand radical (扌) with the heart radical (忄) or water radical (氵) when handwriting.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 扶, what physical action does it represent and how is it pronounced?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to support with the hand' (fú) using a hand radical and phonetic part?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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