铺
pū · HSK 6
pave
🧱 sounds like pooh — spread it flat like paving a path
铺 (pū) breaks down: 钅metal radical + 甫 (fǔ, begin/just now). A metal tool used to spread and lay things flat — paving roads, spreading out a blanket, or overlaying a surface layer by layer.
铺 — metal radical 钅 + 甫 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 钅 (metal) hints at meaning, while 甫 supplies the sound 'pū'. Originally referred to a metal door-knocker or ring, then extended to 'spread out' or 'lay flat' (as metal sheets are spread). Today it commonly means 'to spread/pave' or 'shop' (read pù).