How to Write 浮 (fú) — Meaning “to float / to drift”

Imagine a child (子) floating on water, held up by a bird's claws (爫) — this visual combines the components of 孚. The water radical (氵) on the left reminds you it happens in water. So picture a baby bird being carried by its mother over a lake, floating gently.

Write the left radical 氵 first (three dots from top-left to bottom-left). Then the right side 孚: start with the top claw-like strokes (爫), followed by the child radical (子). Make sure both sides are balanced — the left is narrower and the right is slightly wider. A common mistake is making the 子 part too big or misplacing the bottom horizontal stroke.

浮 (fú) means 'float' or 'drift' and uses the phonetic 孚. 沫 (mò) means 'foam' or 'spittle' and contains 末 (end, tip). 沭 (shù) is a name for a river in China and uses 术 (technique). Visually, the right parts are distinct: 孚 (claw + child), 末 (a tree with a longer top), and 术 (a wooden post with a bend).

浮 appears in common words like 漂浮 (piāo fú, to float) and 浮现 (fú xiàn, to appear before one's eyes). It also describes abstract floating, such as 浮云 (fú yún, fleeting clouds) to mean unimportant things. Culturally, it can imply superficiality, as in 浮华 (fú huá, showy but empty).

Common words containing 浮 include: 漂浮 (piāo fú) — To float; 浮现 (fú xiàn) — to emerge / to appear before one's eyes; 浮力 (fú lì) — buoyancy.