铺 (pū) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

铺

pū[pu1]Tone 1

to spread

HSK 6

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鋪

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to spread

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:14

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (钅) compact and slightly narrower on the left half, leaving ample room for the complex phonetic component (甫) on the right.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 鋪 uses the metal radical 釒 (simplified to 钅) on the left side.

1. Meaning

to spread, to unfold, or to lay out

to display or exhibitto set up or arrange (like a bed)historical unit of distance or night watch station

VerbNeutral#action#arrangement#household

Sample Usage

请把地毯铺上。
Qǐng bǎ dìtǎn pū shàng.
Please spread out the carpet.
服务员正在铺床。
Fúwùyuán zhèngzài pū chuáng.
The attendant is making (spreading) the bed.

2. Sound

/[pʰu⁵⁵]/Tone: 55

铺

pūpu1

¯(55)

=pū

Initial Consonant

Type: Aspirated Bilabial

Sounds like: p sound in 'pie'

Aspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Strong puff of air! A tissue held before lips MUST fly forward.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Both lips pressed firmly together then released with a strong pop of air.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: -oo sound in '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 is a high, steady pitch maintained without rising or falling, similar to a sustained musical note on a flute.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse with the unaspirated 'bū' sound. If you don't release enough air, native speakers will hear 'bū' instead of 'pū'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your hand flat and steady at a high level near your forehead, like a high-altitude drone hovering in place.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 14 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (钅) compact and slightly narrower on the left half, leaving ample room for the complex phonetic component (甫) on the right.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 鋪 uses the metal radical 釒 (simplified to 钅) on the left side.

4. Components

Radical 钅 · Metal Radical (metal or hard material)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 钅 (indicates tools, bars, or surfaces associated with metal frames or flattening tools)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 甫 (original sound: fǔ / pū)

Metal (钅) meets the phonetic root for a spread-out field or structure (甫), combining to mean spreading out metal sheets or flat surfaces.

钅 metal radical on the left
甫 phonetic and structural component on the right

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

21· Phonetic Root: 甫 (fǔ)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the metal element indicating tools or flattening implements with a phonetic indicator 甫, representing the stretching or spreading of items.

Semantic Evolution: Over time, its meaning broadened from physical metal flattening to general spreading, unfolding, setting up beds, and displaying goods.

In ancient times, it also referred to postal relay stations or night watch stations spaced apart along roads.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine spreading out a shiny SHEET OF METAL (钅) across the floor like a giant silver picnic blanket, puffing air (pū) to smooth out every wrinkle.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

捕

bǔto arrest, to catchUses the hand radical (扌) instead of metal (钅).

辅

fǔto assist, auxiliaryUses the vehicle/cart radical (车) instead of metal (钅).

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

铺(pù)

When pronounced in Tone 4 (pù), it usually functions as a noun meaning a shop, store, or a plank bed (e.g., 床铺 chuángpù).

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

妈妈在床上[___]了一条新被子。

Clue: pū

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the first tone (pū - verb to spread) with the fourth tone (pù - noun for shop or bed plank). Pay close attention to tone marks in context.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does the character 铺 mean when pronounced pū with Tone 1?

Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to spread' that contains the metal radical?

铺pūto spread

Speed:

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