The character 福 — “happiness”: how to write it and what it means
happiness, good fortune
The Chinese character 福 is read fú and means “happiness, good fortune”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 福
福 has 13 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 福, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 福 is made of
On the left, 礻 — “altar, ritual”. The right part is the same as in 幅 fú.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 福
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 福?
福 has 13 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 福 mean?
福 means “happiness, good fortune”. It appears in 幸福 (“happiness”), 福利 (“benefits”), 祝福 (“blessing”).
How do you pronounce 福?
福 is read fú. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 福 have?
13 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 福 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free