Chinese word

俯首

Pronunciation

Pinyinfǔ shǒu

Meaning

  • verbbow one's head

Example

他进门向祖父俯首行礼。tā jìn mén xiàng zǔ fù fú shǒu xíng lǐ

He entered the room and bowed his head to his grandfather in greeting.

Illustration for 俯首 (bow one's head)

More examples

在法庭上，他当庭俯首认罪。zài fǎ tíng shàng tā dāng tíng fú shǒu rèn zuì

In court, he bowed his head and confessed his guilt on the spot.

Core concept

The head moves downward as a visible sign of respect, obedience, or yielding.

Common phrases

  • 俯首称臣fú shǒu chēng chén

    bow one's head and submit as a subject

  • 俯首认罪fú shǒu rèn zuì

    bow one's head and confess one's guilt

Similar words

低头dī tóu: Lower the head or look downward in ordinary speech.
鞠躬jū gōng: Bend from the waist or upper body as a formal bow of respect.
弯腰wān yāo: Bend at the waist, lowering the upper body.
垂头chuí tóu: Hang the head down and look toward the ground.

Definition in Chinese

低下头，表示敬意或屈服。dī xià tou biǎo shì jìng yì huò qū fú

Word origin

俯首 (fǔshǒu, "bow one's head") combines 俯 (fǔ, "bend downward") with 首 (shǒu, "head"), so the lowered head conveys respect or submission.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this verb sounds formal and often belongs to written or ceremonial language, while simpler wording is more natural for casual scenes.

Other meanings

  • look downverb
  • submitverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 俯首帖耳fú shǒu tiē ěrsubmit meeklyidiom
  • 俯首称臣fú shǒu chēng chénsubmit as a subjectidiom

Word lists with this word