扶 fú to support
to support; to protect; to help; to support with the hand; to help somebody up
How to remember 扶: 扌 hand + 夫 husband = to support. She holds out her hand on the icy path, and her husband of fifty years grabs it, always there to support.
Component breakdown
扶 = 扌 hand + 夫 husband
- 扌 hand
- 夫 husband
- 二 two
- 人 person
She holds out her hand on the icy path, and her husband of fifty years grabs it, always there to support.
How it is used
- 扶 specifically means to physically support someone with your hands, e.g. helping them stand or walk - different from the abstract "support" of 支持 (zhīchí), which means to back or endorse an idea, person, or cause.
- 扶一下老人过马路 (fú yíxià lǎorén guò mǎlù) - help the elderly person across the street (by holding their arm).
- 扶持 (fúchí) extends this to figuratively "support/help along" a weaker party, often in policy contexts, like the government supporting small businesses (扶持中小企业).