匐 (fú): (in 匍匐) to crawl; to creep; to…

Meanings

巡逻兵趁夜色匍匐过阵地。

Xúnluóbīng chèn yèsè púfú guò zhèndì.

The patrol crawled across the position under cover of night.

他匍匐在主子脚下，不敢抬头。

Tā púfú zài zhǔzi jiǎoxià, bù gǎn táitóu.

He prostrated himself at his master's feet, daring not to lift his head.

usage

Bound; it appears only in 匍匐 ('to crawl; to grovel'). It never stands alone in modern Chinese.

radical

勹 bāo

to wrap; embrace (radical)

The wrap radical, the curved bending body. It pictures the low, folded posture of crawling, matching its partner 匍 which carries the same radical.

phonetic

畐 fú

full vessel; phonetic

Sits inside the wrap and supplies the sound fú with an exact match. The same phonetic gives 福 (fortune) and 幅.

匐 fú