浮 means “float”

うく · uku

Also: floating, rise to surface

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うく, うかれる, うかぶ, うかべる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

フ

JLPT N3 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

Water (氵), a hand (爫) and a child (子): picture a parent holding a little one up so they float. 浮 drifts on top: 浮き輪 is a swim ring, and 浮世絵 are prints of Edo's "floating world".

Used in 浮かぶ (ukabu, to float/come to mind), 浮き輪 (ukiwa, swim ring), and 浮世絵 (ukiyoe, woodblock print)

More from Coming & Going

• 戻 go back
• 越 cross over
• 到 arrive
• 連 take along
• 向 face
• 放 release
• 残 remain
• 追 chase
• 落 fall
• 退 retreat
• 路 road
• 込 crowded

Learn 浮 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.