夫 (fū) is a Chinese character meaning “husband”. It is written from 一 (one) and 大 (big), and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “an adult man; husband”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 大
Overlapping structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分：IDS ⿻一大，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（第 1 笔为顶横，第 2–4 笔构成大）
Memory aid
A full-grown person (大) with one bar (一) laid across the top of the head — a hairpin. Both parts are really in this character: an adult man.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 夫人fū rénmadam; lady; wife (polite)夫 = fū
- 夫妻fū qīhusband and wife; married couple夫 = fū
- 夫妇fū fùhusband and wife; married couple夫 = fū
- 屠夫tú fūbutcher夫 = fū
Go deeper
All readings
husband; adult man
husband; adult man; a man doing a certain kind of labour
成年男子；女子的配偶。也用于指从事某种体力劳动的人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 夫人fū rénmadam; lady; wife (polite)夫 = fū
- 夫妻fū qīhusband and wife; married couple夫 = fū
- 夫妇fū fùhusband and wife; married couple夫 = fū
- 屠夫tú fūbutcher夫 = fū
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 夫 mean?
夫 (fū) means husband; adult man; a man doing a certain kind of labour.
How do you pronounce 夫?
It is pronounced fū.
What parts is 夫 made of?
一 (one) and 大 (big). The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分：IDS ⿻一大，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（第 1 笔为顶横，第 2–4 笔构成大）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 夫 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 夫?
大. 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 夫?
Common ones are 夫人 and 夫妻. The reading of 夫 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.