Chinese character 苻

苻 names plants, a surname, and a written variant of 符. Classical dictionaries also list 白英 (also called 鬼目草), the inner membrane of a reed, and a seed covering among its older plant senses.

The 苻 surname is tied to the Former Qin, a historical Chinese state ruled by the 苻 clan. 苻坚 and 苻洪 are personal names; 苻秦 names the state or ruling house. These compounds belong to the history, not the plant meanings.

Is 苻 the same as 符?

They are related forms, not interchangeable in every context. In Han-slip writing—texts written on narrow bamboo strips—the grass top 艹 and bamboo top 竹 could alternate in forms of 符. Classical documentary use of 符 named a split tally: matching halves of a token confirmed an order. 苻 also appears in records about related documents and prophetic texts.

The top component is the quick clue: 苻 has grass 艹, while 符 has bamboo 竹. Dictionaries also record distinct plant and surname meanings for 苻, so a name or quotation keeps its recorded spelling.

Alone, 苻 needs context

If someone sends 苻 by itself, the character does not identify which sense they intend. Read the surrounding sentence or ask what source it comes from.

In 苻坚 or 苻洪, it is a surname; in 苻秦 it names the Former Qin state or ruling house; in a plant glossary it points to a botanical sense.