福

• Pinyin: fú
• Hanzi breakdown: 福 = 礻(altar/spirit) + 畐 (full vessel), meaning blessings from the gods filling one's vessel

Meaning

Good fortune; blessing; happiness. A concept of prosperity and good luck.

One of the most culturally significant characters in Chinese. Appears in many common words: 幸福 (happiness), 福气 (good fortune), 祝福 (blessing). During Chinese New Year, the character 福 is displayed on doors, sometimes upside down (倒福) as a pun meaning 'fortune has arrived.'

Examples

1. 过年的时候，家家户户都贴福字。 During the New Year, every household puts up the character for fortune.
2. 奶奶说我们全家都很有福气。 Grandma says our whole family is very blessed.
3. 祝你新年快乐，福星高照。 Wishing you a happy New Year with fortune shining upon you.

Usage Guide

Context: festival, culture, everyday

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 祝你新年福气满满。(Wishing you a New Year full of blessings.)
• 他是一个很有福的人。(He is a very fortunate person.)

Don't Say

• 我今天的福不太好 (Don't use 福 for daily mood or luck — use 运气 for luck; 福 refers to a deeper, more lasting sense of fortune and blessings)

Origin & History

From the oracle bone script depicting a person praying before an altar with wine, representing prayers for blessings from the gods.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal