副 (fù) is a Chinese character meaning “deputy”. It is written from 畐 (full (a filled vessel)) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “deputy; secondary”
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Structure
畐 + 刂
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：副，判也。从刀畐声。IDS 拆分 ⿰畐刂，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 11 笔，笔画 0–8 为「畐」（9 笔），笔画 9–10 为「刂」（2 笔）
Memory aid
A knife (刂) splits a full jar (畐) in two — now there is a second, backup half: a deputy, a copy.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 副本fù běncopy; duplicate (of a document)副 = fù
- 副作用fù zuò yòngside effect副 = fù
Go deeper
All readings
deputy; secondary
deputy; vice-; assistant; secondary; auxiliary; (measure word) pair, set (e.g. of glasses, gloves)
居第二位的、辅助的；附带的；量词，用于成套或成对的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 副本fù běncopy; duplicate (of a document)副 = fù
- 副作用fù zuò yòngside effect副 = fù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 副 mean?
副 (fù) means deputy; vice-; assistant; secondary; auxiliary; (measure word) pair, set (e.g. of glasses, gloves).
How do you pronounce 副?
It is pronounced fù.
What parts is 副 made of?
畐 (full (a filled vessel)) and 刂 (knife (side form)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：副，判也。从刀畐声。IDS 拆分 ⿰畐刂，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 11 笔，笔画 0–8 为「畐」（9 笔），笔画 9–10 为「刂」（2 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 副 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 副?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 副?
Common ones are 副本 and 副作用. The reading of 副 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.