How to Write 怫 (fú) — Meaning “angry; indignant”

Imagine you are so angry that you feel a 'fume' (sounds like fú) rising from your heart — the radical 忄 represents the heart, and 弗 reminds you of the word 'fume.' You can also picture the right side 弗 as a person with their arms crossed in a huff.

When writing 怫, start with the two dots and vertical stroke of 忄, making sure the vertical line is straight and not too long. The right side 弗 has five strokes: a horizontal, a vertical, a horizontal, a vertical hook, and finally a downward-left slant — the last stroke is a straight 'pie' and should not curve into a hook. Keep the left and right parts balanced, with the radical slightly narrower.

忏 (chàn) means 'to repent' and has 千 (qiān) on the right, while 忕 (shì) means 'habit' and has 大 (dà) on the right. Visually, 怫 has the complex component 弗, which looks like a twisted shape, unlike the simple 千 or 大. In meaning, 怫 is only used for anger or depression, not for repentance or habits.

怫 is a literary character rarely used alone in daily conversation; it appears in formal or classical phrases like 怫然 (fú rán, 'angrily') and 怫郁 (fú yù, 'depressed'). You might encounter it in idioms such as 怫然不悦 (fú rán bù yuè, 'very displeased'), but it is not part of the HSK vocabulary and is considered advanced or poetic.

Common words containing 怫 include: 怫然 (fú rán) — angrily; in a huff; 怫郁 (fú yù) — depressed; heavy-hearted; 忧怫 (yōu fú) — Depressed and worried.