幅 (fú) · measure word for paintings, pictures, textiles

Meanings

1 measure word for paintings, pictures, textiles
2 width (of cloth)

Characters

幅

fú

width (of cloth); measure word for paintings

Examples

HSK 4

这幅照片拍得真好。

Zhè fú zhàopiàn pāi de zhēn hǎo.

This photo was taken really well.

HSK 5

墙上挂着一幅画。

Qiángshàng guà zhe yī fú huà.

A painting hangs on the wall.

HSK 5

这幅书法作品非常珍贵。

Zhè fú shūfǎ zuòpǐn fēicháng zhēnguì.

This calligraphy work is very precious.

Tips

usage

幅 is specifically for flat visual works: 一幅画 (a painting), 一幅照片 (a photo), 一幅地图 (a map). Don't use it for books or 3D objects.

Components

radical

巾 jīn

cloth; towel

Cloth radical on the left - 幅 originally meant the width of a bolt of cloth, a textile measurement. Paintings and scrolls were mounted on silk and unrolled by the bolt, so the measure word migrated naturally from cloth widths to flat hanging works.

phonetic

畐 fú

full vessel (here phonetic)

畐 (fú) supplies an exact phonetic match. 畐 itself pictures a full wine-jar. Same phonetic in 福 (fú, fortune), 富 (fù, wealth), 副 (fù, deputy), 辐 (fú, spoke) - a tightly clustered fú/fù family.