How to Write 呋 (fū) — Meaning “fu (used in chemical names)”

Think of the left part 口 as a round chemical flask and the right part 夫 as the letter "F" (for furan). Together, they suggest "mouth-shaped flask for furan chemistry." This visual trick links the shape to its scientific use.

Write the left radical 口 first as a small square, then write 夫 on the right. The 夫 part has three horizontal strokes: the first two are shorter, and the last long stroke extends slightly past the right side. A common mistake is making 口 too large — it should be about one-third of the character's width.

呋 (fū) has 口 on the left and 夫 on the right, and is only used in chemical names. 卟 (bǔ) has 口 on the left and 卜 on the right, and appears in 卟啉 (porphyrin). 古 (gǔ) has 十 above 口, means "ancient," and is a common daily character. Their meanings and pronunciations are all distinct.

呋 is almost exclusively used in chemistry to transliterate foreign sounds in drug or compound names, like 呋喃 (furan), 呋塞米 (furosemide), and 呋喃妥因 (nitrofurantoin). It does not appear in everyday conversation or general vocabulary, and it is not part of the HSK exam.

Common words containing 呋 include: 呋喃 (fū nán) — furan (chemical compound); 呋塞米 (fū sāi mǐ) — furosemide; 呋喃妥因 (fū nán tuǒ yīn) — nitrofurantoin.