How to Write 匐 (fú) — Meaning “to crawl; to fall prostrate”

Picture a person (勹) with their body stretched out long (like the shape of 畐) crawling on the ground. The top part is the head and arms reaching forward, and the bottom part is the legs dragging behind. This image helps you link the character to the action of crawling.

Start by writing the top radical 勹 with two strokes: a left-falling hook (丿) then a horizontal hook (乛), keeping it narrow. Then write the bottom part 畐 with 9 strokes (total 11), making sure it is centered and not too wide. A common mistake is making the top too broad or leaving out the small horizontal stroke inside 畐.

匐 has the inner component 畐 (fú), while 匍 has 甫 (fǔ) inside; 匍 is only used in the compound 匍匐 (pú fú), never alone. 匏 (páo) has 包 (bāo) inside and means "gourd," a completely different meaning. All share the same outer radical 勹, so focus on the inner part to distinguish them.

匐 appears mainly in words like 匍匐 (to crawl on the ground) and 匐行 (to creep), often in military or survival contexts. It is also used in Buddhist practice for full-body prostrations (五体投地). Although not in the HSK list, you may see it in literature or idioms describing careful, low movement.

Common words containing 匐 include: 匍匐 (pú fú) — to crawl; to prostrate; 匐行 (fú xíng) — to crawl; to creep; 匐伏 (fú fú) — to crawl; to lie prostrate.