副

• Pinyin: fù
• Hanzi breakdown: 副 = 畐 (fullness, phonetic) + 刂 (knife radical) — originally 'to split,' extended to mean secondary or assistant

Meaning

Deputy; vice-; secondary; assistant. A prefix indicating a subordinate or secondary position.

Commonly used as a prefix for titles: 副总统 (vice president), 副经理 (deputy manager), 副教授 (associate professor), 副主任 (deputy director). Also functions as a measure word for pairs or sets (一副眼镜 a pair of glasses, 一副手套 a pair of gloves) and can describe expressions (一副…的样子 an appearance of...).

Examples

1. 他刚被提拔为副总经理，负责公司的海外业务。 He was just promoted to deputy general manager, in charge of the company's overseas business.
2. 这位副教授的研究领域是人工智能与机器学习。 This associate professor's research area is artificial intelligence and machine learning.
3. 她摆出一副若无其事的样子，其实心里紧张得很。 She put on an appearance of nonchalance, but was actually very nervous inside.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, titles, descriptions

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 请问副院长在吗？(Excuse me, is the deputy dean available?)
• 他戴着一副金边眼镜。(He's wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.)

Don't Say

• 把副用在不是职位的场合表示'次要' (Don't use 副 alone to mean 'secondary' in general contexts — it's mainly for titles or as a measure word)

Origin & History

Originally meant 'to split, divide' — the character shows 畐 (fullness) with 刂 (knife radical), suggesting division. Extended to mean secondary or subordinate positions.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal