服
fú
clothes, obey
At a glance · 服

Listen

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

服 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 服 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 服 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 服 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 服 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 服 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

服字小篆从月(肉)从𠬝,会意为从事、顺从、服用;本义为职事、衣服。甲骨文未见。

What the sketch shows

服 Object sketch

Origins & notes

服本义为从事、服从,引申为衣服、服用。

Structure

会意字,从月(肉)从𠬝,表示使人屈从、役使。

At a glance

Pinyinfú
Radical月
Strokes8
UnicodeU+670D
Character type会意
Theme动作

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English clothes, obey Fu is an associative character meaning to serve and submit, and by extension clothes.
Français vêtements, obéir Fu est un caractère associatif signifiant servir et se soumettre, puis vêtements.
Español ropa, obedecer Fu es un carácter asociativo que significa servir y someterse, luego ropa.
العربية ملابس، يطيع فو حرف تركيبي يعني الخدمة والخضوع، ومنه الملابس.
Русский одежда, подчиняться Фу — ассоциативный знак, означающий служить и подчиняться, далее — одежда.

Common words

  • 衣服yī fúclothes
  • 服从fú cóngobey