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

HSK 2

他的学习态度很浮。

Tā de xuéxí tàidù hěn fú.

His attitude toward studying is superficial.

HSK 7-9

木头浮在水面上。

Mùtou fú zài shuǐmiàn shàng.

The wood floats on the surface of the water.

HSK 7-9

脸上浮出了一丝微笑。

Liǎnshàng fú chū le yīsī wēixiào.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

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).