附

• Pinyin: fù
• Hanzi breakdown: 附 = 阜 (mound, beside) + 付 (phonetic: pay/hand over)

Meaning

To attach; to append; to add supplementary material. Also means to be close to or affiliated with something.

Used as a verb meaning to enclose or attach (附上简历 enclose a résumé), as a prefix meaning supplementary (附件 attachment, 附录 appendix), and to express proximity or subordination (附近 nearby, 附属 affiliated). Very productive in formal written Chinese.

Examples

1. 申请表填写完毕后，请附上身份证复印件一并提交。 After filling out the application form, please attach a photocopy of your ID and submit them together.
2. 报告末尾附有详细的数据来源列表，供读者核实参考。 At the end of the report, there is an attached list of detailed data sources for readers to verify and reference.
3. 这所医院附设了一个专门针对儿童的康复训练中心。 This hospital has an attached rehabilitation training center specifically for children.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, administration, formal documents

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 邮件中附有合同草稿，请查收并提出修改意见。(The email has the draft contract attached — please review it and suggest revisions.)
• 论文附录中附有原始调查问卷，方便读者了解研究设计。(The appendix of the thesis includes the original survey questionnaire so readers can understand the research design.)

Don't Say

• 附了一个苹果 — 附 is for documents, items submitted together, or structural additions; use 带上 or 放了 for casually placing a physical object

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 阜 (mound/steps, meaning) + 付 (phonetic component)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal