敷

• Pinyin: fū
• Hanzi breakdown: 敷 = 方 + 一 + 攴 components (direction/spread + action — to spread out, to apply over a surface)

Meaning

To apply (a paste, ointment, medicine, or mask) onto the skin or a wound; to spread a substance evenly over a surface.

Common medical collocations: 外敷药膏 (apply ointment externally), 敷药 (apply medicine). In skincare: 敷面膜 (apply a face mask). In traditional Chinese medicine: 外敷 (external application) is contrasted with 内服 (internal use). Note: 敷衍 (perfunctory, to fob off) is an unrelated compound.

Examples

1. 中医常把药膏调成膏状后直接敷在患处，以减少副作用并强化局部疗效。 Traditional Chinese medicine often turns herbs into a paste and applies it directly to the affected area to reduce side effects and improve local treatment.
2. 她每晚都把药用面膜均匀敷在全脸，数周后皮肤状态明显改善。 She applied the medicated mask evenly over her whole face every night, and her skin improved noticeably after a few weeks.
3. 这种草药膏至今仍被当地人用于轻微烫伤和炎症，薄薄敷在伤处即可。 This herbal ointment is still used by local people for minor burns and inflammation; a thin layer on the wound is enough.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, skincare, traditional medicine, health

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 患者清洁创面后应把消炎药膏薄薄敷在患处并盖上纱布，按时换药。(After cleaning the wound, the patient should apply a thin layer of anti-inflammatory ointment to the affected area, cover it with gauze, and change the dressing on time.)
• 洁面后将面膜均匀敷于全脸，干燥和敏感处可适当加厚。(After cleansing, apply the mask evenly to the whole face, and make the layer slightly thicker on dry and sensitive areas.)

Don't Say

• 敷 confused with 涂 in all contexts — 涂 (to coat, to smear) is more general and covers painting, spreading any substance; 敷 specifically implies laying a medicinal or therapeutic substance onto the body surface for treatment or care

Origin & History

敷 = 方 + 攴 (spread/prescription component + action radical) — to spread outward over a surface

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal