扶 (fú) is a Chinese character meaning “to support with the hand”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 夫 (man; husband), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to support with the hand”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 夫
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 扌 3 画 + 夫 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 手部
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaching out to a grown man (夫) so he does not fall — you put out a hand and hold someone up.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 扶手fú shǒuhandrail; armrest; banister扶 = fú
- 扶持fú chíto support; to help sustain; to back up扶 = fú
- 搀扶chān fúto support someone by the arm扶 = fú
Go deeper
All readings
to support with the hand
to support with the hand; to help someone stand or walk; to hold onto (a rail)
用手支持人或物，使不倒下；也指搀着、帮助。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 扶手fú shǒuhandrail; armrest; banister扶 = fú
- 扶持fú chíto support; to help sustain; to back up扶 = fú
- 搀扶chān fúto support someone by the arm扶 = fú
Sound component
夫 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 扶 mean?
扶 (fú) means to support with the hand; to help someone stand or walk; to hold onto (a rail).
How do you pronounce 扶?
It is pronounced fú.
What parts is 扶 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 夫 (man; husband), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：7 画 = 扌 3 画 + 夫 4 画；部首取 UCD CJKRadicals 手部. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 扶 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 扶?
手. 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 扶?
Common ones are 扶手 and 扶持. The reading of 扶 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.