伏 means “lie face down, hide”

ふせる · fuseru

Also: prostrated, bend down, bow, cover

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): ふせる, ふす
On'yomi (Chinese reading): フク

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 6 strokes

The story

A person (亻) with a dog (犬) flat at their side, waiting: lying low. 伏せる is to lay face down or keep hidden, 伏せ is what you tell a dog for down, 降伏 is surrender, and 伏線 is the foreshadowing an author plants early.

Used in 伏せる (fuseru, to lay face down/conceal), 伏線 (fukusen, foreshadowing), and 降伏 (koufuku, surrender)

伏 means “lie face down, hide”

The story

More from Hidden & Hazy