伏 (fú) - to lie prostrate & to bend over

伏Tone 2

fú ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 亻

枫惠

伏 · fú

to lie prostrate;

to bend over;

to submit;

to conceal;

to subdue;

one of the 24 solar terms (Fu, dog days of summer);

a measure word for electrical potential (volt).

to lie prostrateto bend overto submit

Usage highlights

to lie prostrateto ambushto submitto concealdog days of summervoltage

Synonyms

  • 趴— to lie on one's stomach
  • 卧— to lie down
  • 藏— to hide, conceal

Antonyms

  • 起— to rise, get up
  • 立— to stand
  • 显— to appear, show

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He lay prostrate on the ground (伏地).
  • During the dog days of summer (三伏天), the weather is very hot.
  • The army ambushed the enemy (伏击敌人).
  • This battery is 1.5 volts (1.5伏).

Collocations

  • to lie prostrate(伏地)
  • to ambush(伏击)
  • to submit(屈服)
  • to conceal(潜伏)
  • dog days of summer(伏天)
  • voltage(电压)

Idioms

  • To lie in ambush, waiting for the right moment(伏以待机)
  • To submit willingly and wholeheartedly(伏首帖耳)
  • The dog days of summer(三伏天气)
  • Rising and falling, cyclical changes(此起彼伏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Represents one of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar, specifically the 'Fu' periods marking the hottest days of summer.
  • Historically associated with submission and reverence, as in bowing or lying prostrate before a superior.
  • Used in modern contexts for electrical potential (volt), a loan translation from Western science.

FAQ