How to Write 抚 (fǔ) — Meaning “to comfort; to stroke; to foster”

Imagine your hand (扌) gently stroking a person who feels they have "nothing" (无) left. This image of a comforting touch when someone is empty or sad helps link the meaning to the character's shape.

Pay attention to the proportion: the hand radical 扌 is narrow and on the left, while the right part 无 is slightly wider. A common mistake is making the horizontal strokes of 无 too long or shortening the final hook of 扌—keep the hand's vertical stroke straight and the hook small.

抚 (fǔ) means to stroke or comfort gently, while 扑 (pū) means to rush at or throw oneself on something. Visually, 抚 has 无 on the right, whereas 扑 has 卜 (bǔ, divination) on the right. The actions are opposite in strength: 抚 is soft, 扑 is forceful.

抚 appears in words like 抚摸 (to stroke gently) for physical touch, and 安抚 (to appease) for calming emotions. It is also used in 抚养 (to foster a child), which is a formal term for raising children, often in legal or official contexts about parental care.

Common words containing 抚 include: 抚摸 (fǔ mō) — to stroke; to caress; to touch gently; 安抚 (ān fǔ) — To appease / Placate; 抚养 (fǔ yǎng) — to raise; to foster; to bring up.