Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (走) slightly narrower and lower, and the right component (攴/文 variant) taller and anchored firmly to the right, ensuring the whole character does not tip over.
1. Meaning
to go to, to proceed to
to attend (a banquet, meeting, or event)to rush to (an assignment, rescue, or battle)
He is going to Beijing tomorrow to attend a meeting.
前线官兵奋勇赴难。
qiánxiàn guānbīng fènyǒng fù nàn.
The officers and soldiers at the front bravely rushed to meet the crisis.
2. Sound
/[fu⁵¹]/Tone: 51
赴
fùfu4
|
++
`(51)
=fù
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
fu
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
f
Type: Labiodental Fricative
Sounds like: f sound
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Continuous smooth friction.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Bring your top teeth gently down to touch your lower lip, allowing air to friction out continuously.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: -oo as in food
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
5 → 1 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops precipitously to the floor, identical to a sharp English command like 'STOP!' or 'NO!'
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the sharp falling tone 4 with tone 1 (high level) or tone 3 (dipping). Make sure the pitch drops steeply and doesn't bounce back up.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Chop your hand downwards sharply from eye level to chest height, mirroring a firm downward command or a decisive stride forward.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (走) slightly narrower and lower, and the right component (攴/文 variant) taller and anchored firmly to the right, ensuring the whole character does not tip over.
Semantic Clue (形旁):走 (Indicates movement or traveling somewhere.)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):攴 (original sound: fu)
A person walking (走) with purpose under a striking/urging command (攴 - hand holding a stick) to rush forward to a destination.
走 Walking / moving
攴 Branch / striking / urging action
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
9· Phonetic Root: 卜 (bǔ)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combined the walking element (走) to represent travel and a phonetic element to provide the sound. Over time, it specifically came to mean heading purposefully toward a distant destination or formal event.
Semantic Evolution: From general walking or movement to formal journeying ('赴任' - taking up an official post) and attending official banquets ('赴宴').
In ancient times, '赴' was frequently used when officials traveled to take up distant government appointments.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
phó
Corresponds to the Vietnamese sắc tone (high rising), while Mandarin uses tone 4 (falling).
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: フ (fu) / Kun: おもむく (omomuku)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
부
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'f-' in Mandarin frequently bridges to 'f-' or 'ph-' in related historical Sinosphere readings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You are WALKING (走) with a STICK urging you on (攴) because you must RUSH FORWARD (赴) to catch your flight abroad!
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
卜
bǔdivinePhonetic Core (声旁)
补
bǔto repair, mend, or supplement+ 衤 (clothes)
扑
pūto pounce on, to flap, to throw oneself at+ 扌 (hand)
赴 has the walking radical (走) meaning 'to go', whereas 副 has the knife/splitter radical (刂) meaning 'assistant or second in command'.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
他明天将___美国参加国际会议。
Clue: fù
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing '赴' (fù - to go/attend formally) with general movement verbs like '去' (qù). Remember that '赴' is typically reserved for formal travel, banquets, or missions.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What formal verb means 'to go' or 'to attend' and features the walking radical on the left?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to go/attend formally' (fù) with 9 strokes?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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赴fùto go
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