Definitions

(verb) to hide; to conceal oneself; to lie low
(verb) to bend down; to lean over
(verb) to submit; to yield
(noun) hottest days of summer

Etymology

Depicts a person () lying down next to a dog (). The meaning later shifted to "crouch".

About

The character "伏" derives from a structural combination of the human radical 亻 and the component 犬 meaning dog, a configuration that originally evoked the image of a person in a posture similar to a crouching or lying dog. Its early usage centered on the concrete action of prostrating oneself or lying hidden, often implying submission or concealment, which over time extended metaphorically to include meanings such as yielding to force, lying in ambush, and even the state of being latent or subdued. This semantic development further applied to the climatic concept of "伏天", the hottest summer period imagined as heat lying over the land, while the character's consistent form has preserved the direct link between its constituent parts and these layered meanings of descent, secrecy, and seasonal intensity.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

在沙发上。

Māo fú zài shāfā shàng.

The cat is lying on the sofa.

士兵埋在树林里。

Shìbīng máifú zài shùlín lǐ.

The soldiers are lying in ambush in the woods.

的山峦很美丽。

Qǐfú de shānluán hěn měilì.

The rolling hills are very beautiful.

案工作了很久。

Tā fú'àn gōngzuò le hěn jiǔ.

He worked bent over his desk for a long time.

电压是二百二十特。

Diànyā shì èr bǎi èr shí fútè.

The voltage is 220 volts.

这场危机潜着危险。

Zhè chǎng wēijī qiánfú zhe wēixiǎn.

This crisis harbors danger.

他制了那个坏人。

Tā zhìfú le nàge huàirén.

He subdued that bad person.

不定的情绪影响了他。

Qǐfú bùdìng de qíngxù yǐngxiǎng le tā.

The fluctuating emotions affected him.