伏 fú to crouch
to hide
How it came to be
会意 · Meaning + meaning
Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.
The oldest form joins a person and a dog: lying flat on the ground.
用法
- To lie low / crouch / lie hidden: 埋伏 (máifú) to lie in ambush, 潜伏 (qiánfú) to lurk, 伏案 (fú'àn) to bend over a desk.
- Hence 'to rise and fall': 起伏 (qǐfú) to undulate, 此起彼伏 (cǐqǐ-bǐfú) one rising as another falls.
- Also the dog-days of summer, 三伏天 (sānfútiān), the hottest period; and the electrical volt, 伏特.