How to Write 罘 (fú) — Meaning “Hunting net”

Think of a hunting net (罒) that catches 'no' (不) animals — it is a net that sometimes misses its prey. Another way is to connect it with the place name 芝罘 (Zhifu), imagining a net on the coast of Yantai. The image of a net with the word 'no' below helps remind you that this character is a specific kind of net.

Write the top radical 罒 first with four strokes: vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal — keep it flat and wide. Then write 不 below with four strokes: horizontal, left-falling, vertical, dot — note that the third stroke is a straight vertical, not a hook. A common mistake is making the top net too tall or misplacing the dot in 不; ensure the dot is centered and small.

The bottom part is the main visual difference: 罘 has 不 (no), 罔 has 亡 (death), and 罕 has 干 (dry). Their meanings also differ: 罘 means 'hunting net,' 罔 means 'net' or 'to deceive,' and 罕 means 'rare.' In modern usage, 罘 is mostly a place name, while 罔 and 罕 appear in more common words like 罔顾 (disregard) and 罕见 (rare).

罘 is extremely rare today and appears almost exclusively in the place name 芝罘 (Zhīfú), a district in Yantai, Shandong Province. It also survives in classical terms like 罘罳 (fú sī, a screen wall) and 罘网 (fú wǎng, hunting net). Culturally, 芝罘 is historically significant as an ancient port and is still used in official city districts.

Common words containing 罘 include: 芝罘 (zhī fú) — Zhifu (a district in Yantai); 罘罳 (fú sī) — Screen wall; 罘网 (fú wǎng) — Hunting net.