符 means “token, sign, ticket”

ふ · fu

Also: mark, tally

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

フ

JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

Bamboo (⺮) handed over (付): in ancient China a bamboo tally was split in two, each side kept half, and a perfect match proved who you were. 符 is still a token or sign: 切符 is a ticket, 音符 a musical note.

Used in 切符 (kippu, ticket), 音符 (onpu, musical note), and 符号 (fugou, sign/code)

More from Getting It There

• 導 guide
• 述 state
• 絡 connect
• 届 deliver
• 駐 park
• 贈 give
• 荷 load

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

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