How to Write 幞 (fú) — Meaning “turban / headcloth”

Picture a cloth (巾) wrapped around a head like a turban. The right side 菐 looks like the folds of the cloth, with the top part 艹 resembling messy hair and the bottom 业 representing the wrapped layers.

Write the left radical 巾 first: vertical stroke, then horizontal, then vertical hook. For the right side 菐, start with the top 艹 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the bottom 业 (vertical, vertical, horizontal, horizontal). Keep the left part narrow and the right part wider for balance.

幌 (huǎng) means a curtain or shop sign, using the phonetic 晃 (bright). 幔 (màn) means a large curtain or screen, using 曼 (slow). 幞 (fú) specifically means a turban or headcloth, and its right side is 菐. Their shapes and meanings are distinct even though they share the radical 巾.

The character 幞 is rarely used in everyday conversation and appears mainly in historical or literary contexts. It is most common in the word 幞头 (fú tóu), which refers to traditional male headwear from ancient dynasties like Tang and Song, often seen in costume dramas.

Common words containing 幞 include: 幞头 (fú tóu) — traditional male headwear; 巾幞 (jīn fú) — headcloth / turban; 幞巾 (fú jīn) — headscarf / turban.