富强
fù qiáng · HSK 7
rich and powerful
💰 富 = rich/wealth + 强 = strong/powerful
A two-character compound where 富 (fù) means wealthy and 强 (qiáng) means strong. Together they form a slogan-style word meaning prosperous and mighty, often used to describe a nation's economic and military strength.
富 — roof 宀 + one 一 + mouth 口 + field 田
Originally a pictograph of a tall jar full of grain or wine under a roof, symbolizing a household with abundant stores. The lower part 畐 depicted the full vessel and also gave the sound, while 宀 (roof) marked the home. Over time the meaning shifted from 'full vessel' to 'wealth, abundance, rich.'
强 — bow 弓 + elong 㔾 + insect 虫
Originally written 強, depicting a type of strong-shelled insect or weevil, with 虫 (insect) as semantic and 弘 as phonetic. The meaning shifted from the insect's tough shell to the general sense of 'strong, powerful, forceful.' The form 强 is a common variant where 弘 is replaced by 弓+口.