布
bù · HSK 3
cloth
🧵 sounds like 'boo' — cloth ghost on Halloween
布 (bù) means cloth or fabric. The sound 'bù' echoes the English 'boo' — the classic ghost made from a white sheet of cloth. Also appears in 宣布 (announce) and 布料 (fabric).
布 — hand 手 (as 𠂇) + cloth 巾
Originally a pictograph of woven cloth held in a hand, combining a hand element (𠂇) with 巾 'cloth/towel'. The core meaning 'cloth' was extended to 'spread out, display' (as cloth is unfurled), giving modern senses like 'announce' and 'arrange'.