How to Write 扶 (fú) — Meaning “to support with the hand; to help someone up”

Imagine a hand (扌) reaching out to help a man (夫) who has fallen down. The man's two horizontal strokes are like his arms, and the final stroke is his leg as he stands up with support. This picture links the shape directly to the meaning of helping someone up.

When writing 扶, pay attention to the right side 夫: the first two strokes are horizontal lines, then a small diagonal stroke followed by a larger diagonal stroke — do not confuse the order. The left radical 扌 should be narrower, and the right part 夫 should be slightly wider, keeping the whole character balanced. A common mistake is making the right part too tall or uneven.

扶 (fú) means 'to support by the hand,' while 扑 (pū) means 'to pounce on' or 'to attack.' Visually, the right side of 扶 is 夫 (a man), whereas the right side of 扑 is 卜 (a divination symbol). In writing, 扶 has more strokes and a different overall shape, so focus on the right part to tell them apart.

扶 is commonly used in words like 扶手 (handrail), 搀扶 (to support someone by the arm, especially the elderly), and 扶持 (to give support or aid). In Chinese culture, offering a hand to help the elderly or disabled is a sign of respect and kindness, so this character often appears in contexts involving care and assistance.

Common words containing 扶 include: 扶手 (fú shǒu) — handrail; armrest; 搀扶 (chān fú) — to support someone by the arm; 扶持 (fú chí) — to support; to give aid to; to sustain.