福 (fú) - Fortune, blessing, good luck, happiness — represents prosperity

福Tone 2

fú ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

福 · fú

Fortune, blessing, good luck, happiness — represents prosperity and auspiciousness in Chinese culture.

Fortune, blessing, good luck, happiness — represents prosperity

Usage highlights

Good fortuneBlessingHappiness and longevityGood luckFortune and prosperitySpring Festival couplets with 福 character

Synonyms

  • 禄— Official salary/prosperity
  • 祥— Auspicious
  • 吉— Lucky

Antonyms

  • 祸— Misfortune, disaster
  • 灾— Calamity, disaster
  • 厄— Adversity, hardship

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Wishing you good fortune (祝福).
  • This is a lucky character (福字).
  • We celebrate Chinese New Year (春节) with Spring Festival couplets (春联) featuring the character 福.
  • May you have happiness and longevity (福寿).

Collocations

  • Good fortune(福气)
  • Blessing(福分)
  • Happiness and longevity(福寿)
  • Good luck(福运)
  • Fortune and prosperity(福禄)
  • Spring Festival couplets (春联) with 福 character

Idioms

  • Good fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea(福如东海)
  • Happiness depends on oneself, not on heaven(福自己求)
  • Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise(福兮祸所伏，祸兮福所倚)
  • Blessings come in pairs(福无双至)
  • Happiness and longevity(福寿双全)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 福 is prominently displayed upside down during Chinese New Year, as 'upside down' (倒 dào) sounds like 'arrive' (到 dào), symbolizing 'fortune arrives'.
  • One of the most important auspicious characters in Chinese culture, representing the Five Blessings: longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, and natural death.
  • Commonly found on doorways, couplets, and decorations during festivals and celebrations.

FAQ