How to Write 附 (fù) — Meaning “to attach / to be near”

Imagine you are on a hill (阝) and you attach a payment slip (付) to a nearby tree. This visual of 'attaching' something near a hill helps link the components to the meaning 'to attach' or 'to be near.'

First write the left radical 阝 as two strokes: a curved line and a straight vertical. Then write the right side 付, starting with the person radical 亻 (two strokes) and finishing with 寸 (three strokes). A common mistake is making the left side too large; the radical should be narrow, while the right side takes up most of the space.

The key difference is the position of the 阝 radical: in 附 it is on the left, while in 邗 and 邘 it is on the right. Also, 附 is a common HSK 4 word meaning 'attach' or 'near,' whereas 邗 (hán) and 邘 (yú) are rare characters used only as place names or surnames.

You often see 附 in words like 附近 (meaning 'nearby'), 附件 (meaning 'attachment' in emails or documents), and 附属 (meaning 'affiliated' or 'subsidiary'). For example, when sending an email, you can write '请查看附件' (please check the attachment).

Common words containing 附 include: 附近 (fù jìn) — nearby / vicinity; 附件 (fù jiàn) — attachment / accessory; 附属 (fù shǔ) — subsidiary / affiliated.