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浮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
浮fúto floatHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúsuperficialHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúfloatingHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúunstableHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúmovableHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúprovisionalHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fútemporaryHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fútransientHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúimpetuousHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúhollowHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúinflatedHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúto exceedHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúsuperfluousHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúexcessiveHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúsurplusHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
浮fúto drift, to float; mobile, temporary, unstable; recklessHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 氵, rank #5642, Hard
fú(fu2)fu T2
  1. 1to float
  2. 2superficial
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March 24, 2026

浮fú(fu2)

The character 浮 (fú) primarily means 'to float' or 'to drift.' It can describe physical objects that are buoyant, as well as abstract concepts like superficiality or transience. This term often appears in contexts discussing temporary or unstable conditions, both literally and metaphorically.

Strokes10Radical氵Frequency#5642DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, floating can symbolize impermanence and the transient nature of life, echoing themes found in traditional poetry and philosophy. The concept aligns with the idea of 'wu wei' (non-action), where one flows with life's currents rather than resisting them.

Memory tip

Imagine a fluffy cloud (浮) floating effortlessly in the sky. The cloud represents the idea of being light and transient, and the pronunciation 'fú' can be remembered by picturing it 'floating' up and away. The character's water radical (氵) hints at the idea of floating on water.

Meanings of 浮

fú(fu2)
1to float
2superficial
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 浮 means.

About 浮

浮Simplified
10Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5642Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 浮

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Podcast: 浮

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AI study notes for 浮

Quick Contrast

漂 (piāo) - use 浮 when emphasizing the state of floating or drifting in a superficial manner, while 漂 is more about the act of drifting gracefully or lightly.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 浮 with related words like 沉 (chén, to sink), leading to misunderstandings in context. It is typically used in both formal and informal settings, but be cautious with tone – 浮 (fú) is pronounced with a rising tone, so ensure clarity to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

While 浮 is not in the standard HSK vocabulary, it connects with HSK Level 3 words related to movement and states, such as 漂 (piāo, to drift) and 流 (liú, to flow). Focus on recognizing its usage in phrases that describe temporary states or conditions.

Common Mistakes

Learners frequently confuse 浮 with 伏 (fú, to lie down), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For example, saying '他在水面上伏着' (Tā zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú zhe) is incorrect; it should be '他在水面上浮着' (Tā zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú zhe).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 浮

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Etymology of 浮

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

water

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

Origin

浮 = 氵 + 孚. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 浮

IDS Structure⿰氵孚
浮Full character
=
氵shui3
left
孚fu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 浮?

How to say to float in Chinese

“to float” in Chinese is浮fú

The character 浮 (fú) primarily means 'to float' or 'to drift.' It can describe physical objects that are buoyant, as well as abstract concepts like superficiality or transience. This term often appears in contexts discussing temporary or unstable conditions, both literally and metaphorically.

When to use 浮

Learners often confuse 浮 with related words like 沉 (chén, to sink), leading to misunderstandings in context. It is typically used in both formal and informal settings, but be cautious with tone – 浮 (fú) is pronounced with a rising tone, so ensure clarity to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

浮 or something close to it

漂 (piāo) - use 浮 when emphasizing the state of floating or drifting in a superficial manner, while 漂 is more about the act of drifting gracefully or lightly.

What learners get wrong

Learners frequently confuse 浮 with 伏 (fú, to lie down), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For example, saying '他在水面上伏着' (Tā zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú zhe) is incorrect; it should be '他在水面上浮着' (Tā zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú zhe).

Write 浮

浮

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

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Grammar patterns of 浮

浮 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 16 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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

这使得更广泛的争论____现了出来。

It's brought to the surface a much wider controversy.

Example sentences for 浮 (10)

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1
这使得更广泛的争论浮现了出来。

zhè shǐde gèng guǎngfàn de zhēnglùn fúxiàn le chūlái。

It's brought to the surface a much wider controversy.
2
树林上空飘浮着一股烟。

shùlín shàngkōng piāofú zhe yī gǔ yān。

There was a drift of smoke above the trees.
3
乔治疯狂地挣扎,不断在水面上浮浮沉沉。

qiáo zhì fēngkuáng dì zhēngzhá, búduàn zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú fú chén chén。

George struggled wildly, going under and resurfacing at regular intervals.
4
一丝怀旧的微笑浮现在她的脸上。

yī sī huáijiù de wēixiào fúxiàn zài tā de liǎn shàng。

A faint smile of reminiscence appeared on her face..
5
我们拼命往外舀水,使它继续漂浮了几个小时。

wǒmen pīnmìng wǎng wài yǎo shuǐ, shǐ tā jìxù piāofú le jǐ gè xiǎoshí。

We kept her afloat for a couple of hours by bailing frantically.
6
我的脑海里不时地会浮现出一些好主意.

wǒ de nǎohǎi lǐ bùshí dì huì fúxiàn chū yìxiē hǎo zhǔyi.

Good ideas swim into my mind from time to time.
7
他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员.

tā shuō wǒ tài qīng fú bù néng chéngwéi yī míng hǎode guǎnlǐ yuán.

He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.
8
他紧紧地贴在木筏上,好让自己浮在水面.

tā jǐnjǐn dì tiē zài mù fá shàng, hǎo ràng zìjǐ fú zài shuǐmiàn.

He clung tightly to the raft to keep himself afloat.
9
结果是,企业人浮于事,到处都是耍笔杆子的人。

jiéguǒ shì, qǐyè rén fú yú shì, dàochù dōushì Shuǎ bǐ gǎn zi de rén。

As a result, industry was overmanned and pen-pushers were everywhere.
10
蛋白一煮就会凝结,并且浮起来。

dàn bái yī zhǔ jiù huì níngjié, bìngqiě fú qǐlái。

As the egg whites cook, they coagulate and rise to the surface.

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Word Family of 浮

Words containing this character20
浮fúto float
浮现fúxiànto come into view浮現
漂浮piāofúto float
浮云fúyúnfleeting浮雲
浮动fúdòngunstable浮動
悬浮xuánfúsuspension懸浮
浮躁fúzàorestless
浮肿fúzhǒngswollen浮腫
浮标fúbiāobuoy浮標
轻浮qīngfúfrivolous輕浮
浮夸fúkuāto exaggerate浮誇
浮华fúhuáostentatious浮華
卢浮宫lúfúgōngLe Louvre, Paris Museum盧浮宮
上浮shàngfúto float up
浮雕fúdiāorelief sculpture
飘浮piāofúto float飄浮
沉浮chénfúebb and flow
磁悬浮cíxuánfúmaglev磁懸浮
浮力fúlìbuoyancy
浮游生物fúyóushēngwùplankton
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 浮

What does 浮现 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 浮

You can say '他在水面上浮着' (Tā zài shuǐmiàn shàng fú zhe) which means 'He is floating on the water.'

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