About
The character "扑", whose traditional form is "撲", is etymologically constructed from the hand radical (扌) on the left, denoting action, combined with "菐" on the right, which historically served as a phonetic component and also carried connotations of diligence or bustling activity. This composition originally conveyed the core meaning of striking or beating with the hand, as in a slap or a blow. Over time, its semantic field broadened from this physical action to encompass more generalized notions of pouncing or rushing forward, capturing a sense of directed and vigorous motion. This extended further into metaphorical uses, where "扑" came to describe the act of applying oneself wholly to a task, thus absorbing some associative meaning from its phonetic component related to devoted effort. The modern, simplified form "扑" retains the indicative hand radical while streamlining the complex right-hand element, preserving the character's fundamental conceptual link to manual action while reflecting a history of applied meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他扑灭了大火。
消防员扑灭火灾。
我扑打身上的蚊子。
香味扑鼻而来。
他扑空了，没找到人。
球员扑救险球。
孩子们在草地上扑蝴蝶。
他毫不犹豫地扑向歹徒。