How to Write 阜 (fù) — Meaning “mound; abundant”

Imagine a small hill with eight steps — because 阜 has 8 strokes — and at the top there is a flag waving in the wind. The flag stands for 'abundant' because from the top of the mound you can see plentiful resources.

Start with the left vertical stroke, then write the top horizontal, followed by the shorter middle horizontal, and finally the long bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the middle horizontal too long — it should be shorter than both the top and bottom strokes to keep the character balanced.

A common expression is 物阜民丰 (wù fù mín fēng), meaning 'abundant resources and prosperous people,' used to describe a wealthy society. Another is 阜盛 (fù shèng), meaning 'prosperous and flourishing,' often used for cities or economies.

阜 is rarely used alone today but appears in place names, like 阜阳 (Fùyáng, a city in Anhui), and in classical or formal writing to mean 'abundant.' Culturally, it reflects the ancient belief that mounds and hills symbolized fertility and wealth, so it carries a positive, old-fashioned sense of prosperity.

Common words containing 阜 include: 物阜民丰 (wù fù mín fēng) — Abundant resources and prosperous people; 阜盛 (fù shèng) — prosperous; flourishing; 阜康 (fù kāng) — prosperous and healthy.