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敷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
敷fūto spreadHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
敷fūto lay outHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
敷fūto apply (powder, ointment etc)HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
敷fūsufficient (to cover)HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
敷fūenoughHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
敷fūto apply, to paint, to spreadHSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 攵, rank #9725, Hard
fū(fu1) T1
  1. 1to spread
  2. 2to lay out
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March 24, 2026

敷fū(fu1)

The character 敷 (fū) primarily means 'to spread' or 'to apply,' often in the context of applying ointments, powders, or other substances on a surface. It can also imply that something is sufficient to cover an area, indicating completeness or adequacy in application. This term is frequently used in medical or cosmetic contexts.

Strokes15Radical攵Frequency#9725DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of applying medicinal herbs or ointments is deeply rooted in traditional medicine. The practice of 敷 is common when utilizing herbal remedies, which are often used to treat various ailments.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef spreading icing on a cake to make it look beautiful. The word 敷 sounds like 'foo,' so picture the chef saying 'foo, this will make it perfect!' The character has a component 亻 (man) indicating action, showing that this is something that requires doing.

Meanings of 敷

fū(fu1)
1to spread
2to lay out
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 敷

敷Simplified
15Strokes
攵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#9725Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 敷

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Podcast: 敷

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AI Study Notes for 敷

Quick Contrast

涂 (tú) - use 敷 when referring specifically to applying a substance evenly, while 涂 is more general and can imply painting or coating.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a chef spreading icing on a cake to make it look beautiful. The word 敷 sounds like 'foo,' so picture the chef saying 'foo, this will make it perfect!' The character has a component 亻 (man) indicating action, showing that this is something that requires doing.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 敷 with similar-sounding words like 服 (fú, to wear) or 抚 (fǔ, to pat). While 敷 is more commonly used in informal contexts regarding application, it can also appear in formal medical discussions. Be mindful of the fourth tone when pronouncing it to avoid confusion with other words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 敷 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with words related to health and care, such as 医 (yī, medicine) and 药 (yào, medicine). Students should focus on the contexts in which 敷 is used, particularly in relation to treatments and applications.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of applying medicinal herbs or ointments is deeply rooted in traditional medicine. The practice of 敷 is common when utilizing herbal remedies, which are often used to treat various ailments.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 敷 with 服 (fú), leading to incorrect sentences like '我需要服药' (Wǒ xūyào fú yào), which incorrectly implies 'I need to wear medicine.' The correct form is '我需要敷药.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 敷

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Etymology of 敷

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

tap

Semantic (meaning)攵
+
Phonetic (sound)旉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 敷?

Decomposition of 敷

IDS Structure⿰旉攵
敷Full Character
=
旉fu1
left
攵pu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 敷?

Write 敷

敷

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

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Grammar Patterns of 敷

敷 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

李教授向来严谨治学，从不____衍了事。

Professor Li has always been rigorous in his scholarship and never does things in a slapdash manner.

Example Sentences for 敷 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
喉咙痛用冷敷布敷一下可能会好一些。

hóu lóng tòng yòng lěng fū bù fū yī xià kě néng huì hǎo yī xiē。

Sore throats may be relieved by cold compresses.
2
尽管那部电影不乏亮点，但我还是觉得它过于敷衍了事。

jìn guǎn nà bù diàn yǐng bù fá liàng diǎn， ， dàn wǒ huán shì jué dé tā guò yú fū yǎn le。

Despite the film's merits I felt it was too pat.
3
水箱和屋顶都需要敷设严密的保温层。

shuǐ xiāng hé wū dǐng dū xū yào fū shè yán mì de bǎo wēn céng。

Water tanks should be well lagged and the roof well insulated.
4
杯子被倒满时米芝敷衍性地点头示意。

bēi zǐ bèi dǎo mǎn shí mǐ zhī fū yǎn xìng dì diǎn tóu shì yì。

Mitzi nodded a perfunctory acknowledgement as her glass was filled.
5
她学会了自己给房子拉接电线、敷设水管。

tā xué huì le zì jǐ gěi fáng zǐ lā jiē diàn xiàn、 、 fū shè shuǐ。

She learned to wire and plumb the house herself.
6
如果你入不敷出，可以试着减少开支吗？

rú guǒ nǐ rù bù fū chū， ， kě yǐ shì zháo jiǎn shǎo kāi zhī？

If you spend more than your income, can you try to cut down?
7
卡罗琳敷衍地笑了一下。

kǎ luó lín fū yǎn dì xiào le yī xià。

Caroline made a faint attempt at a laugh.
8
敷用这药膏后,你的脚会感到舒服些.

fū yòng zhè yào gāo hòu, , nǐ de jiǎo huì gǎn dào shū fú.

Your foot will feel better after the application of this ointment.
9
秦地罗敷女,采桑绿水边.

qín dì luó fū nǚ, , cǎi sāng lǜ shuǐ.

The lovely Lo Fo of the western land Plucks mulberry leaves by the waterside.
10
他擦身而过，朝人群敷衍地挥了挥手。

tā cā shēn ér guò， ， zhāo rén qún fū yǎn dì huī le huī。

He brushed by with a perfunctory wave to the crowd.

Cultural Notes for 敷

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of applying medicinal herbs or ointments is deeply rooted in traditional medicine. The practice of 敷 is common when utilizing herbal remedies, which are often used to treat various ailments.

Word Family of 敷

Words Containing This Character12
敷fūto spread
敷衍fūyǎnperfunctory
入不敷出unable to make ends meet
敷衍了事to skimp
外敷to apply externally
热敷hot compress熱敷
冷敷cold compress
敷料medical dressing
敷设to lay敷設
敷衍塞责to skimp on the job敷衍塞責
敷贴to smear敷貼
敷陈a thorough narrative敷陳
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 敷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 敷

You can say '我需要敷药' (Wǒ xūyào fū yào), meaning 'I need to apply medicine.'