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How to Write 腐 (fǔ) — Meaning “Rotten / Corrupt / Tofu”

fǔ HSK Level 4 14 strokes Radical: 肉

腐 (fǔ) means "Rotten / Corrupt / Tofu" in Chinese. It has 14 strokes with the radical 肉, and is HSK Level 4.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 88% of HSK Level 4 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 豆腐 (dòu fǔ), 腐败 (fǔ bài), 腐烂 (fǔ làn).

Due to its 14 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 腐 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 腐 - fǔ

Practice Writing 腐 (fǔ)

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How to Write 腐

The character 腐 (fǔ) is written with 14 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 肉 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 fǔ (腐) Mean in Chinese?

腐 means Rotten / Corrupt / Tofu.

As an HSK Level 4 character, 腐 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character腐
Pinyinfǔ (fu)
MeaningRotten / Corrupt / Tofu
Strokes14
Radical肉
HSK Level4
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 腐

腐 combines the radical 肉 (meat/flesh) with 府 (a government storehouse or mansion). Originally, it depicted meat stored in a closed place, which would inevitably rot or become corrupt over time. This compound visually suggests decay through improper storage, later extended to meanings like 'rotten' and 'tofu' (a fermented product).

💡 Memory Tip: Picture meat (肉) left too long in a government warehouse (府)—it's now rotten, stinky, and only good for making tofu.

Common Words with 腐

豆腐 dòu fǔ
tofu; bean curd
腐败 fǔ bài
Corruption / Corrupt
腐烂 fǔ làn
To rot / To decay

Example Sentences

我想买两块豆腐。

wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng kuài dòu fǔ

I want to buy two pieces of tofu.

食物容易腐败。

shí wù róng yì fǔ bài

Food spoils easily.

树叶在土里腐烂。

shù yè zài tǔ lǐ fǔ làn

The leaves are rotting in the soil.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
腐 (current) fǔ 14 肉
脔 luán 12 肉
Stroke order practice for 腐 - fǔ

Practice Writing 腐 (fǔ)

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Frequently Asked Questions about 腐

腐 combines the phonetic component 府 (fǔ, mansion) on top with the radical 肉 (ròu, flesh/meat) below. This suggests the original idea of meat that has been stored too long in a mansion, leading to rotting or decay.

More HSK Level 4 Characters

阿ā/ē姨yí矮ǎi置zhì暗àn巴ba/bā士shì货huò摆bǎi脱tuō败bài裹guǒ含hán括kuò薄báo/bó/bò宝bǎo贝bèi密mì守shǒu抱bào

Characters with Radical 肉

肉ròu胬nǔ脔luán

Other 14-Stroke Characters

㕡hé僖xī僚liáo僦jiù僧sēng僬jiāo僭jiàn僮tóng僳sù儆jǐng