Definitions
(noun)
husband; man
Etymology
Pictograph of a man. The top horizontal stroke either distinguishes it from the character 大 or depicts a hairpin, something that was only worn by adults.
About
The character 夫 derives from a pictographic representation of an adult male, formed by adding a horizontal stroke to the component 大, which signifies "large", with that stroke depicting a hairpin or cap used in traditional coming-of-age rituals. This structural composition originally conveyed the specific idea of a matured man, often a husband, marking his social role and responsibilities. Over centuries, its semantic scope widened to refer generically to men and further specialized to denote individuals engaged in certain trades, such as a farmer or laborer, as seen in compound terms. Additionally, in classical literary usage, it adopted a function as an initial particle to introduce statements or emphasize topics, thus enriching its linguistic applications while retaining its fundamental connection to adult masculinity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我丈夫是一名医生。
那位夫人非常和蔼可亲。
他的中国功夫很厉害。
这位老农夫在田里工作。
他们是一对模范夫妻。
老夫老妻的感情很深。
做事不能只凭匹夫之勇。
有如此成就，夫复何求？