富

Core sense of abundance and ampleness, encompassing both material wealth (assets such as money, land, and possessions) and general abundance. In non-material contexts—such as physical space or abstract qualities (e.g., "rich in virtue")—it implies a stable depth or sufficiency rather than mere quantity.

Primarily functions as an adjective or noun. It may appear with quasi-verbal force meaning "to enrich" or "to make wealthy," frequently supported by an auxiliary verb (e.g., 使). When modifying a quality, it can function as an intensifier suggesting stability and depth of that trait.

When distinguishing between terms for abundance:

// 富 vs. 豐 (//fēng*): While both denote plenty, 豐 often suggests overflowing or peaking abundance (such as a harvest), whereas 富 emphasizes possession, reserve, and sufficiency.

// 富 vs. 裕 (//yù*): 富 focuses on the volume of assets; 裕 focuses on the resulting margin or surplus that allows for ease and the absence of scarcity.

The etymology suggests abundance that is contained or stored, represented by the image of a full vessel under a roof.