Hanzi Writer

How to Write 服 (fú/fù) — Meaning “clothes / to serve”

fú/fù HSK Level 1 8 strokes Radical: 月

服 (fú/fù) means "clothes / to serve" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 月, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.2/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 67% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 衣服 (yī fú), 服务 (fú wù), 一服药 (yī fù yào).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 服 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 服 - fú/fù

Practice Writing 服 (fú/fù)

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How to Write 服

The character 服 (fú/fù) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 月 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does fú/fù (服) Mean in Chinese?

服 means clothes / to serve.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: fú, fù.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 服 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character服
Pinyinfú / fù (fu)
Meaningclothes / to serve
Strokes8
Radical月
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.2/5

Origin of 服

The character 服 originally depicted a hand (又) pressing down on a kneeling person (卩) to force submission, meaning 'to serve'. The left side 月, derived from 肉 (flesh/body), was added later to connect to the body being clothed, giving the character its second meaning of 'clothes'.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hand (又) placing a moon-shaped garment (月) over a kneeling servant (卩) who must now serve and wear clothes.

Common Words with 服

衣服 yī fú
clothes; clothing
服务 fú wù
service
一服药 yī fù yào
a dose of medicine

Example Sentences

妈妈买了一件新衣服送给我当生日礼物。

mā mā mǎi le yī jiàn xīn yī fú sòng gěi wǒ dāng shēng rì lǐ wù

Mom bought a new piece of clothing for me as a birthday gift.

这里的酒店服务周到，让客人感到很温馨。

zhè lǐ de jiǔ diàn fú wù zhōu dào ràng kè rén gǎn dào hěn wēn xīn

The hotel service here is thoughtful, making guests feel warm and welcome.

这是一服药，一定要按照医生的要求按时服用。

zhè shì yī fù yào ， yí dìng yào àn zhào yī shēng de yāo qiú àn shí fú yòng 。

This is a dose of medicine; you must take it on time according to the doctor's instructions.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
服 (current) fú / fù 8 月
有 yǒu 6 月
朊 ruǎn 8 月
朋 péng 8 月
Stroke order practice for 服 - fú/fù

Practice Writing 服 (fú/fù)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 服 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 服

服 is made of two parts: left side 月 (flesh/body radical) and right side 卩 (a kneeling person). Together they originally suggested a person kneeling to serve, which gave the meaning 'to serve', and later extended to 'clothes' as items worn on the body.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 月

月yuè有yǒu朊ruǎn朋péng朐qú朔shuò朕zhèn朗lǎng望wàng朝cháo/zhāo

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng