夫 (fū) - husband & man
夫 · fū
husband;
man;
adult male;
laborer;
also used as a particle in classical Chinese.
husbandmanadult male
Usage highlights
husbandfarmerfishermanlaborermanhusband and wife
Usage & contexts
Examples
- My husband (丈夫) is a teacher.
- He works as a farmer (农夫).
- The fisherman (渔夫) caught a big fish.
- In ancient times, a man (夫) would often be the head of the household.
Collocations
- husband(丈夫)
- farmer(农夫)
- fisherman(渔夫)
- laborer(夫役)
- man(男人)
- husband and wife(夫妻)
Idioms
- A single word from a husband is hard to follow(夫唱妇随)
- All men are brothers(四海之内皆兄弟也 - though not containing 夫 directly, conceptually related)
- A hero's courage(匹夫之勇)
- The relationship between husband and wife(夫妻关系)
Cultural background
FAQ- In traditional Chinese culture, 夫 represents the male head of household and carries connotations of responsibility and labor.
- The character is also used in classical Chinese as a sentence-initial particle, giving it scholarly and philosophical weight.
- In Confucian thought, 夫 is part of the fundamental social relationships defining proper order.