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March 24, 2026
扶fú(fu2)
The character 扶 (fú) primarily means to support or help someone, often by using one’s hand. It can refer to physically assisting someone who has fallen or providing emotional or moral support in various contexts. This word is commonly used in both everyday conversation and more formal situations when discussing acts of assistance or support.
Strokes7Radical扌Frequency#3791DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others, especially the elderly or those in need, is deeply ingrained in societal values, reflected in the saying '扶危助困' (to help those in distress). This highlights the importance of community support and care.
Memory Tip
Imagine a friend who has fallen down, and you 'fu' (扶) them up by holding their arm. The character has a hand (扌) on the left, symbolizing the action of supporting, while the right part sounds like 'fu,' reminding you of the sound and action.
Meanings of 扶
fú(fu2)
1to support with the hand
2to help sb up
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 扶
扶Simplified
7Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#3791Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 扶
Podcast: 扶
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AI Study Notes for 扶
Quick Contrast
扶 (fú) vs 支 (zhī) — use 扶 when physically helping someone, while 支 is more about providing support in a broader, often abstract sense.
Usage Notes
While 扶 is typically used in physical contexts, it can also describe emotional support. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; the tone is crucial as it is pronounced in the second tone. Common collocations include 扶起 (to help someone up) and 扶持 (to support or assist).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 扶 connects with other action verbs that describe physical movement or assistance. Students should focus on its applications in both literal and metaphorical contexts to enhance their conversational skills.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 扶 with similar verbs like 帮 (to help), leading to sentences like '我帮他起来了' instead of the more appropriate '我扶他起来了.' Ensure you use 扶 when referring specifically to physical assistance.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 扶
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Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 夫 represents the sound.
1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
2The sound half夫 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayhand
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 扶? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 扶?
Decomposition of 扶
IDS Structure⿰扌夫
扶Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
夫fu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 扶?
How to say to support with the hand in Chinese
“to support with the hand” in Chinese is扶fú
The character 扶 (fú) primarily means to support or help someone, often by using one’s hand. It can refer to physically assisting someone who has fallen or providing emotional or moral support in various contexts. This word is commonly used in both everyday conversation and more formal situations when discussing acts of assistance or support.
When to use 扶
While 扶 is typically used in physical contexts, it can also describe emotional support. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; the tone is crucial as it is pronounced in the second tone. Common collocations include 扶起 (to help someone up) and 扶持 (to support or assist).
扶 or something close to it
扶 (fú) vs 支 (zhī) — use 扶 when physically helping someone, while 支 is more about providing support in a broader, often abstract sense.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 扶 with similar verbs like 帮 (to help), leading to sentences like '我帮他起来了' instead of the more appropriate '我扶他起来了.' Ensure you use 扶 when referring specifically to physical assistance.
Write 扶
扶
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Practice writing 扶 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 扶
扶 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 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3
This pattern is used to emphasize the action of the verb, specifying more details about the action.
❝
我就是扶他起来的。
Wǒ jiù shì fú tā qǐlái de.
It was me who helped him up.
Exercise 1 of 1
Build the Sentence
It was me who helped him up.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Common Confusions with 扶
扶vs拂
fú
Same pronunciation but different meanings and usages.
Exercise 1 of 1
Spot the Difference
Which character means "to support with the hand"?
or
Example Sentences for 扶 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
坐立时，把胳膊肘靠在扶手上。
zuò lì shí， ， bǎ gē bó zhǒu kào zài fú shǒu。
When you are sitting, keep your elbow on the arm rest.
2
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.
3
他坐在扶手椅上打盹，睡着了。
tā zuò zài fú shǒu yǐ shàng dǎ dǔn， ， shuì zháo。
He was nodding off to sleep in an armchair.
4
我挤出人群，踏上了自动扶梯。
wǒ jǐ chū rén qún， ， tà shàng le zì dòng fú。
I pushed through the crowds and on to the escalator.
5
她坐到一把扶手椅上，跷起了二郎腿。
tā zuò dào yī bǎ fú shǒu yǐ shàng， ， qiāo qǐ le èr láng。
