浮 (fú): to float; to drift on the surfa…

Meanings

1 to float; to drift on the surface
2 superficial; on the surface
3 excessive; inflated

Characters

浮

fú

to float; superficial

Examples

木头浮在水面上。

Mùtou fú zài shuǐmiàn shàng.

The wood floats on the surface of the water.

他的学习态度很浮。

Tā de xuéxí tàidù hěn fú.

His attitude toward studying is superficial.

脸上浮出了一丝微笑。

Liǎnshàng fú chū le yīsī wēixiào.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

不要浮躁，要沉下心来。

Bùyào fúzào, yào chén xià xīn lái.

Don't be restless; calm down and focus.

Tips

usage

浮 vs 沉 (chén, to sink) are opposites. Common words: 浮动 (floating/fluctuating), 浮躁 (impetuous), 漂浮 (to float/drift).

memory

Water radical 氵 + 孚 (fú, phonetic). Something staying on the water's surface = floating.

Components

radical

氵 shuǐ

water (radical form)

Three drops of water on the left — the contracted form of 水. The indexing radical here. Floating happens on water, so the radical is literal. Same radical heads 河, 湖, 海, 漂, 浪 — the river/water family that includes 浮's near-synonym 漂 'drift'.

phonetic

孚 fú

hatch; trust

Right component supplies the sound (fú, exact match) and an oddly fitting semantic echo: 孚 originally pictured a hand 爫 over a child 子, an adult holding an egg-or-infant up — the same action as something rising on water. Same phonetic in 俘 (capture), 孵 (incubate), 莩 (stalk-skin).