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妇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
妇fùwomanHSK 7, ng, 6 strokes, radical 女, rank #6647, Hard
妇fùold variant of 婦HSK 7, ng, 6 strokes, radical 女, rank #6647, Hard
妇fù>妇[fù]HSK 7, ng, 6 strokes, radical 女, rank #6647, Hard
妇fùmarried woman; wifeHSK 7, ng, 6 strokes, radical 女, rank #6647, Hard
fù(fu4) T4
  1. 1woman
  2. 2old variant of 婦
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
妇(婦)fù(fu4)

The character 妇 (fù) refers to a woman, specifically emphasizing a married woman or wife. It is often used in contexts related to family and social roles, highlighting the traditional view of women's positions in society.

Strokes6Radical女Frequency#6647DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 妇 ties into traditional family values where the role of a wife and mother is highly esteemed, often reflected in literature and social expectations.

Memory Tip

Imagine a woman (妇) wearing a traditional Chinese dress with a family emblem. The character's left side (女) represents 'woman,' while the right side (夫) implies 'husband,' together illustrating the concept of a married woman.

Meanings of 妇

fù(fu4)
1woman
2married woman; wife
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 妇

妇Simplified
婦Traditional
6Strokes
女Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#6647Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 妇

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Podcast: 妇

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AI Study Notes for 妇

Quick Contrast

妻 (qī, wife) — 妇 emphasizes a broader social role, while 妻 specifically denotes a spouse.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a woman (妇) wearing a traditional Chinese dress with a family emblem. The character's left side (女) represents 'woman,' while the right side (夫) implies 'husband,' together illustrating the concept of a married woman.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 妇 with 女 (nǚ), which simply means 'woman,' without the marital context. Use 妇 in more formal discussions about family or social roles, such as 妇女 (fùnǚ) meaning 'women' in a broader societal context.

HSK Study Tips

While 妇 is not directly listed in HSK levels, it connects to Level 3 and 4 vocabulary regarding family and relationships. Focus on recognizing its usage in phrases about family roles, which can enhance understanding of social structures in Mandarin.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 妇 ties into traditional family values where the role of a wife and mother is highly esteemed, often reflected in literature and social expectations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 妇 in informal contexts where 女 would be more appropriate, such as saying 妇朋友 (fù péngyǒu) instead of 女朋友 (nǚ péngyǒu) for 'girlfriend.' Use 妇 primarily in formal or specific discussions of marriage and family.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 妇

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Etymology of 妇

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 婦. Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 帚 represents the sound. The 帚 (broom) component may also be related to the meaning, since women were traditionally responsible for household chores.

Memory Hint

Simplified form of 婦; a woman 女 with a broom 彐

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 妇?

Decomposition of 妇

IDS Structure⿰女彐
妇Full Character
=
女nü3
left
彐ji4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 妇?

Write 妇

妇

Practice writing 妇 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 妇

妇 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

许多____女懂得怎样修自己的车。

Many women know how to carry out repairs on their cars.

Common Confusions with 妇

妇vs女
nǚ

Both characters are related to women but have different meanings and uses.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "woman"?

or

Example Sentences for 妇 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
许多妇女懂得怎样修自己的车。

xǔ duō fù nǚ dǒng dé zěn yàng xiū zì jǐ de chē。

Many women know how to carry out repairs on their cars.
2
他推断这俩小孩是这对夫妇的。

tā tuī duàn zhè liǎng xiǎo hái shì zhè duì fū fù de。

He deduced that the two children belonged to the couple.
3
这对夫妇大约两年前相遇，很快就成了知交。

zhè duì fū fù dà yuē liǎng nián qián xiāng yù， ， hěn kuài jiù chéng le zhī。

The couple met about two years ago and soon became firm friends.
4
这一决定激起了妇女和人权组织的强烈愤慨。

zhè yī jué dìng jī qǐ le fù nǚ hé rén quán zǔ zhī de qiáng liè fèn kǎi。

The decision provoked outrage from women and human rights groups.
5
这对夫妇已经向婚姻指导顾问寻求帮助。

zhè duì fū fù yǐ jīng xiàng hūn yīn zhǐ dǎo gù wèn xún qiú bāng zhù。

The couple have sought help from marriage guidance counsellors.
6
这一起对毫无防御能力的孕妇的袭击，令人无比震惊。

zhè yī qǐ duì háo wú fáng yù néng lì de yùn fù de xí jī， ， líng rén wú bǐ zhèn。

This was a sickening attack on a pregnant and defenceless woman.
7
警察拒绝回答这对夫妇是否是一起自杀的。

jǐng chá jù jué huí dá zhè duì fū fù shì fǒu shì yī qǐ zì shā de。

Police refused to say if the couple died in a suicide pact.
8
这被认为是一种限制妇女发牢骚的方式。

zhè bèi rèn wéi shì yī zhǒng xiàn zhì fù nǚ fā láo sāo de fāng shì。

This was seen as a way of restricting women'sarticulation of grievances.
9
我相信埃莉诺在妇女中所做的工作会见成效的。

wǒ xiāng xìn āi lì nuò zài fù nǚ zhōng suǒ zuò de gōng zuò huì jiàn chéng xiào de。

Eleanor's work among the women will, I trust, bear fruit.
10
只有26%的家庭是有孩子要扶养的已婚夫妇。

zhī yǒu26% 26% de jiā tíng shì yǒu hái zǐ yào fú yǎng de yǐ hūn fū。

Just 26 per cent of households are married couples with dependent children.

Cultural Notes for 妇

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of 妇 ties into traditional family values where the role of a wife and mother is highly esteemed, often reflected in literature and social expectations.

Word Family of 妇

Words Containing This Character20
妇女fùnǚwoman婦女
夫妇fūfùa (married) couple夫婦
孕妇yùnfùpregnant woman孕婦
荡妇slut蕩婦
妇fùwoman婦
主妇zhǔfùhousewife主婦
寡妇guǎfuwidow寡婦
媳妇xífudaughter-in-law媳婦
情妇mistress情婦
妇人married woman婦人
妇科gynecology婦科
妇联women's league婦聯
产妇woman in childbirth產婦
妇产科birth clinic婦產科
泼妇shrew潑婦
妇幼women and children婦幼
少妇young married woman少婦
儿媳妇daughter-in-law兒媳婦
贵妇lady (old)貴婦
慰安妇comfort woman慰安婦
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 妇女 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 妇

妇 (fù) specifically refers to a married woman or wife, while 女 (nǚ) is a more general term that simply means 'female' or 'woman.' Understanding the context in which these characters are used will help you grasp their nuanced meanings in Chinese.