俯首

fǔshǒu

verb HSK 7 #34,830

Meanings

1 to bow one's head
2 to submit; to yield

Characters

to bend down; to look down

Literally 'bend the head' — a gesture of submission or humility.

Examples

他俯首认错。

Tā fǔshǒu rèncuò.

He bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

俯首甘为孺子牛。

Fǔshǒu gān wéi rúzǐ niú.

I bow my head willingly to serve the people like an ox.

Tips

history

俯首甘为孺子牛 is from a famous poem by Lu Xun (鲁迅): 横眉冷对千夫指，俯首甘为孺子牛 — 'With fierce brows I face a thousand pointing fingers; head bowed, I gladly serve as the children's ox.' This couplet became one of the most quoted lines in modern Chinese, representing selfless dedication.

Stroke Order

俯 fǔ

首 shǒu