敷 (fū) - To apply (ointment, powder) & to spread
敷 · fū
To apply (ointment, powder);
to spread;
to lay out;
to be sufficient;
to manage;
to deal with.
To apply (ointment, powder)to spreadto lay out
Usage highlights
Apply medicineLay pipes/cablesSpread powderPerfunctoryBarely sufficientExternal application
Usage & contexts
Examples
- Apply medicine to the wound (敷药).
- Spread out the map on the table (敷设地图).
- The funds are barely sufficient (敷用).
- This explanation is perfunctory (敷衍的解释).
Collocations
- Apply medicine(敷药)
- Lay pipes/cables(敷设)
- Spread powder(敷粉)
- Perfunctory(敷衍)
- Barely sufficient(敷用)
- External application(外敷)
Idioms
- To muddle through with perfunctory effort(敷衍了事)
- To deal with something in a superficial way(敷衍塞责)
- To barely make ends meet(入不敷出)
Cultural background
FAQ- Used in traditional Chinese medicine for external application of herbal preparations.
- The term 敷衍 originally meant 'to spread out' but evolved to mean 'perfunctory' or 'superficial'.
- Appears in financial contexts describing insufficient funds (入不敷出).