How to Write 逋 (bū) — Meaning “To flee / To owe”

Imagine a person (甫) suddenly shouting "Boo!" and running away (辶) because they owe money and don't want to pay. The sound bū matches the "boo" sound, and the image of fleeing fits both meanings. This connects the character's sound and shape to the idea of escaping a debt.

First write the left radical 辶 with its 3 strokes: a dot, a short horizontal, then a long curved stroke. Then write the right part 甫 with 7 strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold hook, vertical, horizontal, dot. A common mistake is making 辶 too wide or placing the dot too low, which can make the character unbalanced.

Visually, 迢 has 召 (call) on the right instead of 甫, while 迤 has 也 (also) on the right. In meaning, 迢 means "far" (as in 迢迢, a long distance), and 迤 means "winding" or "stretching." 逋 specifically means "to flee" or "to owe," so they are used in completely different contexts.

逋 is not common in everyday speech but appears in formal or literary words like 逋欠 (to be in arrears) and 逋逃 (to flee as a fugitive). In ancient China, people who could not pay taxes would become 逋逃 (runaways), so the character reflects a historical link between debt and escape. Today it is mostly seen in legal or historical texts.

Common words containing 逋 include: 逋欠 (bū qiàn) — To be in arrears / To owe; 逋逃 (bū táo) — To flee / To become a fugitive; 逋留 (bū liú) — To linger / To delay.