noun #49,900

Measure Word

gēn

Meanings

  1. 1 spoke (of a wheel)
  2. 2 radial element

Examples

Gǔdài mǎchē de lúnzi yǒu xǔduō fú.
Ancient chariot wheels had many spokes.
Zhège tú'àn xiàng chēlún de fú yīyàng xiàng wài yánshēn.
This pattern radiates outward like the spokes of a wheel.

Tips

usage
Rarely used as a standalone character today - almost always part of a compound. Most useful: 辐射 (fúshè, 'radiation'), 辐条 (fútiáo, 'spoke'), 辐辏 (fúcòu, 'converging like wheel spokes - all roads lead to one center').
memory
Radical (vehicle) on the left = clue that this is something to do with wheels and carts. The phonetic 'fù' on the right gives the modern reading fú.

Components

radical
chē
vehicle; cart
Cart radical on the left marks as a wheel-component - spokes radiate from the hub of a cart wheel. Same radical drives (wheel), (axle), 轿 (sedan-chair). Modern is the silhouette of traditional , viewed top-down with axle through the middle.
phonetic
full; abundant
supplies the sound directly - fú with matching tone - and pictures a full vessel, faintly evoking the radial fullness of a complete wheel. Same phonetic family: (fú, blessing), (fù, wealthy), (fù, assistant), (fú, breadth).

Stroke Order