How to Write 夫 (fu/fū) — Meaning “Husband / Man”

Imagine a big man (大) putting a hat or a hairpin (the top horizontal line) on his head. That hat shows he is a married husband. So you can remember: big man plus a hat equals husband.

The stroke order is: first write the top short horizontal, then the bottom longer horizontal, then the left-falling stroke, and finally the right-falling stroke. A common mistake is to make the two horizontals the same length, but the top one should be slightly shorter. Keep the character balanced and not too wide.

夫 has two horizontal strokes on top, while 大 has only one horizontal stroke. 买 (to buy) has a completely different structure: a top line like a lid and a bottom part similar to 头. So remember: 夫 is like 大 with an extra line; 买 is not related to "man" at all.

夫 appears in common words like 丈夫 (husband), 夫人 (madam or wife), and 功夫 (kung fu or effort). It is often used in formal or respectful titles, such as addressing a married woman as 夫人. In 功夫, the character does not carry the meaning of husband; it is a phonetic component.

Common words containing 夫 include: 丈夫 (zhàng fū) — husband; 夫人 (fū rén) — Lady / Madam / Wife; 功夫 (gōng fu) — Kung Fu / effort / time.