匍匐

púfú

verb #22,967

Meanings

1 to crawl
2 to creep
3 to lie prostrate

Characters

to creep / to crawl

to lie face down / to crawl

Examples

士兵们匍匐前进，避开敌人的炮火。

Shìbīngmen púfú qiánjìn, bìkāi dírén de pàohuǒ.

The soldiers crawled forward to avoid enemy fire.

婴儿开始学习匍匐爬行。

Yīng'ér kāishǐ xuéxí púfú páxíng.

The baby is beginning to learn to crawl.

Tips

memory

Both 匍 and 匐 contain the element 勹 (wrap around), evoking a body curled close to the ground. The reduplication reinforces the labored, slow movement.

Stroke Order

匍 pú

匐 fú