扑

撲

pū

卜 + 扌

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

pū (verb) to pounce on; to throw oneself at

pū (verb) to flap; to flutter

pū (verb) to pat; to dab

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 卜 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撲.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 卜

About

扑 is a phonosemantic compound that conveys forceful physical actions like pouncing, striking, or flapping. It pairs the hand radical 扌 with the phonetic 卜 (divination). This character simplifies the traditional 撲, swapping its right side, which originally depicted thick vegetation or cumbersome objects, for the much simpler sound marker 卜. The hand radical firmly places the meaning within the realm of dynamic bodily motion and impactful contact.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他扑灭了大火。

Tā pūmiè le dàhuǒ.

He extinguished the big fire.

消防员扑灭火灾。

Xiāofángyuán pūmiè huǒzāi.

Firefighters extinguish the fire.

我扑打身上的蚊子。

Wǒ pūdǎ shēnshàng de wénzi.

I swat the mosquitoes on my body.

香味扑鼻而来。

Xiāngwèi pūbí ér lái.

The fragrance assails the nostrils.

他扑空了，没找到人。

Tā pūkōng le, méi zhǎodào rén.

He failed to find anyone; he came for nothing.

球员扑救险球。

Qiúyuán pūjiù xiǎn qiú.

The player made a diving save for a dangerous ball.

孩子们在草地上扑蝴蝶。

Háizimen zài cǎodì shàng pū húdié.

The children are catching butterflies on the grass.

他毫不犹豫地扑向歹徒。

Tā háobù yóuyù de pū xiàng dǎitú.

He without hesitation pounced on the thug.

Related Characters

Component: 卜

Component: 扌

扑