俯 fǔ to bow down
to bow down; to face down; to look down
How to remember 俯: 亻 person + 府 prefect = to bow down. Each person in the front row stands up when the prefect enters the hall, and is expected to bow down.
Component breakdown
俯 = 亻 person + 府 prefect
- 亻 person
- 府 prefect
Each person in the front row stands up when the prefect enters the hall, and is expected to bow down.
How it is used
- To bend/look downward - the opposite of 仰 (yǎng, to look up) - 俯视 (fǔshì) to look down on from above, 俯瞰 (fǔkàn) to overlook, 俯身 (fǔshēn) to bend down, 仰头看天 (yǎngtóu kàn tiān) look up at the sky.
- Written/literary register, common in describing views from a height.
- 俯首 (fǔshǒu) 'to bow the head' = to submit; 俯仰之间 in the blink of an eye.