甫 (fǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “(literary) just”. It is written from 十 (ten) and 冂 (down box) and 二 (two) and ㇔ (dot stroke), and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “just now; only just”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
十 + 冂 + 二 + ㇔
Overlapping structure
Structure from: Unicode U+752B; 现代字形同形拆分，逐笔对照 hanzi-writer-data 七笔几何核验（第1、6笔交叉成十 + 第2–3笔成冂 + 第4–5笔成二 + 第7笔㇔在右上）
Memory aid
A tall cross 十 runs right through the middle. Around its lower half stands an open frame 冂, and inside that frame two level lines 二 are stacked like finished rows. One dot ㇔ sits at the top right, the last mark of the job. 甫 is the moment when something has only just been done.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 惊魂甫定jīng hún fǔ dìngto have only just calmed down after a fright甫 = fǔ
- 台甫tái fǔyour courtesy name (polite way of asking a man's style name)甫 = fǔ
Go deeper
All readings
just now
(literary) just; only just; barely — also a polite term for a man's courtesy name
刚刚；才（多用于书面语）。也用作对男子的美称或指表字。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 惊魂甫定jīng hún fǔ dìngto have only just calmed down after a fright甫 = fǔ
- 台甫tái fǔyour courtesy name (polite way of asking a man's style name)甫 = fǔ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 甫 mean?
甫 (fǔ) means (literary) just; only just; barely — also a polite term for a man's courtesy name.
How do you pronounce 甫?
It is pronounced fǔ.
What parts is 甫 made of?
十 (ten) and 冂 (down box) and 二 (two) and ㇔ (dot stroke). The recorded source is: Unicode U+752B; 现代字形同形拆分，逐笔对照 hanzi-writer-data 七笔几何核验（第1、6笔交叉成十 + 第2–3笔成冂 + 第4–5笔成二 + 第7笔㇔在右上）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 甫 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 甫?
用. 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 甫?
Common ones are 惊魂甫定 and 台甫. The reading of 甫 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.