You Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Carriage (chē) Kangxi Strokes: 16 Page 1246, Entry 27 Pronounced fu. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to the spokes of a wheel. In the Book of Odes (Shijing), it is written: Rounding out your spokes. The commentary states: Rounding means to increase. The spokes refer to the straight wooden pieces within a wheel. Below, they have tenons inserted into the felloes, and above, they have mortises connecting to the hub. In the Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), section Winter Officials, Artificers' Record (Kaogongji), the function of the spokes is to serve as vertical supports. Furthermore, the wheel has thirty spokes, symbolizing the days of the month. The commentary notes that this is used to symbolize their motion. Also pronounced bi (falling-rising tone). In the Book of Odes (Shijing), it is written: Kankan goes the sound of felling spokes, placing them by the side of the river. This rhymes with the following line, which ends in the character for eat.