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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) T2
  1. 1to float
  2. 2superficial
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 浮

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

Podcast: 浮

JasonAmy

Podcast: 浮

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 浮

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half孚 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 浮? 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 浮?

Decomposition of 浮

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

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component 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.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

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

Complete the Sentence

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)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这使得更广泛的争论浮现了出来。

zhè shǐ dé gēng guǎng fàn de zhēng lùn fú xiàn le chū lái。

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

shù lín shàng kōng piāo fú zháo 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 fēng kuáng dì zhèng zā， ， bù duàn zài shuǐ miàn shàng fú fú 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 huái jiù de wēi xiào fú xiàn 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。

wǒ mén pīn mìng wǎng wài yǎo shuǐ， ， shǐ tā jì xù piāo fú le jī gè xiǎo。

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 nǎo hǎi lǐ bù shí dì huì fú xiàn chū yī xiē hǎo zhǔ yì.

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 chéng wéi yī míng hǎo de guǎn lǐ 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 jǐn jǐn dì tiē zài mù fá shàng, , hǎo ràng zì jǐ fú zài shuǐ.

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。

jié guǒ shì， ， qǐ yè rén fú yú， shì ， dào chǔ dū shì shuǎ bǐ gān zǐ。

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 níng jié， ， bìng qiě fú qǐ。

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

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fleeting浮雲
浮动unstable浮動
悬浮suspension懸浮
浮躁fúzàorestless
浮肿swollen浮腫
浮标buoy浮標
轻浮frivolous輕浮
浮夸to exaggerate浮誇
浮华ostentatious浮華
卢浮宫Le Louvre, Paris Museum盧浮宮
上浮to float up
浮雕relief sculpture
飘浮to float飄浮
沉浮ebb and flow
磁悬浮maglev磁懸浮
浮力fúlìbuoyancy
浮游生物plankton
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 浮 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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