福

fú

畐 + 礻

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

fú (noun) good fortune; happiness; luck

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 畐 represents the sound.

Semantic: 礻 Phonetic: 畐

About

福 combines the left component 礻, a form of 示 that depicts an altar and relates to spiritual matters, with the right component 畐, which serves as the phonetic element. Historically, 畐 pictured a vessel filled to the brim, an image of abundance, but here it simply indicates the pronunciation. Together, the altar radical and the sound component suggest divine blessings and prosperity, giving 福 its core meanings of good fortune, happiness, and well-being.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 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 Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我祝你永远幸福。

wǒ zhù nǐ yǒngyuǎn xìngfú.

I wish you eternal happiness.

福气来到我们家。

fúqì lái dào wǒmen jiā.

Good fortune has come to our family.

他收到了很多祝福。

tā shōu dàole hěnduō zhùfú.

He received many blessings.

春节时，我们贴福字。

chūnjié shí, wǒmen tiē fú zì.

During Spring Festival, we paste the character "fu".

幸福的生活需要努力。

xìngfú de shēnghuó xūyào nǔlì.

A happy life requires effort.

虽然遇到困难，但他依然感到幸福。

suīrán yù dào kùnnán, dàn tā yīrán gǎndào xìngfú.

Although he encountered difficulties, he still feels happy.

为了大家的福利，公司提高了工资。

wèile dàjiā de fúlì, gōngsī tígāole gōngzī.

For everyone's welfare, the company raised salaries.

在传统文化中，福代表了好运和吉祥。

zài chuántǒng wénhuà zhōng, fú dàibiǎole hǎoyùn hé jíxiáng.

In traditional culture, "fu" represents good luck and auspiciousness.

Related Characters

Component: 畐

Component: 礻

Example Words