How to Write 俯 (fǔ) — Meaning “to bow, lean forward, or look down”

Imagine a person (亻) standing in front of a mansion (府) and bowing respectfully to enter. The mansion has a low door, so the person must bend down. This picture helps link the character to "to bow or lean forward."

Start with the 亻 radical (two strokes: a slash and a vertical line). Then write the right side 府: first the 广 (slant, dot, horizontal with left extension), then 付 (person radical again + 寸). Keep the left and right sides balanced; a common mistake is making 府 too tall or narrow.

俯 means to bow or look down, while 佩 (pèi) means to wear (like a necklace) or admire, and 佬 (lǎo) means a fellow or guy. Visually, 俯 has the simple right component 府, 佩 has a more complex right side with a cloth radical 巾, and 佬 uses the old radical 老.

俯 is common in formal or written Chinese, such as in 俯视 (to look down from above) and 俯身 (to bend over). It also appears in the cultural phrase 俯首称臣 (to bow and submit), often used in historical or metaphorical contexts about obedience.

Common words containing 俯 include: 俯视 (fǔ shì) — to look down at or overlook; 俯身 (fǔ shēn) — to bend over or lean down; 俯首 (fǔ shǒu) — to bow one's head.