伏 — “Prostrated / Bend Down / Bow / Cover” in Japanese

Master (高手)ふく, ふ

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Prostrated / Bend Down / Bow / Cover” in Japanese is 伏, read fuku, fu (ふく, ふ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 起伏 (undulation).

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What does 伏 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	伏
Meaning	Prostrated / Bend Down / Bow / Cover
Readings	ふく, ふ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	起伏 (undulation)

How to read 伏

伏 is read fuku (ふく) or fu (ふ) depending on the word.

Words with 伏

起伏

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Kanji read the same way as 伏

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28