fu

The word “fu” means a traditional Chinese literary form mixing prose and rhymed verse, developed under the Han dynasty. In plain terms, a classical Chinese style of writing that blends poetry and prose.

“Fu” is pronounced fo͞o.

Here is “fu” used in a sentence: “Scholars studied the Han-dynasty fu as an early form of Chinese poetic prose.”

Words with a similar meaning to “fu” include Fuxian.

“Fu” is a noun.

“Fu” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Fu sits between the two: it is a traditional Chinese literary form that mixes prose passages with rhymed verse rather than being purely one or the other. This hybrid quality is its defining feature and is why it is sometimes translated as "rhapsody" or "rhyme-prose."

The literary fu is a Chinese form that blends prose and rhymed verse, developed under the Han dynasty. The "fu" in "kung fu" is a separate word referring to skill or effort gained through practice. They are different words that happen to share the same romanized spelling.

Unlike standard prose, fu deliberately combines prose sections with rhymed, verse-like passages within a single work. Because it does not fit cleanly into either the poetry or prose categories familiar from Western literature, it is often described as "rhyme-prose."