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

HSK 6

婴儿开始学习匍匐爬行。

Yīng'ér kāishǐ xuéxí púfú páxíng.

The baby is beginning to learn to crawl.

HSK 7-9

士兵们匍匐前进，避开敌人的炮火。

Shìbīng men púfú qiánjìn, bìkāi dírén de pàohuǒ.

The soldiers crawled forward to avoid enemy fire.

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