铺

• Pinyin: pū
• Hanzi breakdown: 铺 = 钅(metal) + 甫 (just, phonetic) — spreading metal, extended to laying/spreading in general

Meaning

To lay; to spread; to pave. To cover a surface by placing something flat over it.

Used for laying out items (铺床 — make the bed), paving roads (铺路), spreading tablecloths, or figuratively preparing the groundwork (铺垫). Note: when used as a noun meaning 'shop' or 'bed/bunk,' it is pronounced pù (fourth tone), as in 店铺 (shop) or 上铺 (upper bunk).

Examples

1. 工人们正在铺设新的地铁轨道。 Workers are laying new subway tracks.
2. 她把桌布铺好，准备招待客人。 She spread out the tablecloth, preparing to entertain guests.
3. 这条路铺上柏油之后好走多了。 This road became much easier to travel after it was paved with asphalt.

Usage Guide

Context: construction, daily life, preparation

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 帮我把床铺一下。(Help me make the bed.)
• 这条路要重新铺。(This road needs to be repaved.)

Don't Say

• 注意'铺'作动词读pū，作名词读pù (Note: as a verb 铺 is pū first tone, but as a noun meaning shop/bunk it's pù fourth tone)

Origin & History

The character 铺 combines 钅(metal radical) with 甫 (just, large, phonetic), originally related to metal spreading or flattening.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal