符 (fú) is a Chinese character meaning “symbol”. It is written from ⺮ (bamboo radical (top form of 竹)) and 付 (to hand over; to pay), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “symbol; to accord with”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
⺮ + 付
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：符，信也……从竹付声；现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验（⺮ 6 笔 + 付 5 笔）
Memory aid
A bamboo (⺮) tally handed over (付) as proof — the two halves must match. This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 符合fú héto accord with; to conform to符 = fú
- 符号fú hàosymbol; sign; mark符 = fú
Go deeper
All readings
symbol; tally; to accord with
symbol; mark; tally; talisman; to accord with; to match
记号、标记；古代作凭证的信物；也指相合、一致。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 符合fú héto accord with; to conform to符 = fú
- 符号fú hàosymbol; sign; mark符 = fú
Sound component
付 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 符 mean?
符 (fú) means symbol; mark; tally; talisman; to accord with; to match.
How do you pronounce 符?
It is pronounced fú.
What parts is 符 made of?
⺮ (bamboo radical (top form of 竹)) and 付 (to hand over; to pay), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：符，信也……从竹付声；现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验（⺮ 6 笔 + 付 5 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 符 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 符?
竹. 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 符?
Common ones are 符合 and 符号. The reading of 符 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.