The core meaning of the kanji 伏 is "to lie down," "to be prostrate," "to hide," or "to be submerged." It often implies a state of being in a lowered position, either physically or metaphorically, such as hiding oneself or being in a state of submission. It can also refer to something that is concealed or hidden from view.

・On-yomi (音読み): フク ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ふ（す）

⚫︎伏せる Translation: To lay down; to prostrate oneself; to hide something. ⚫︎潜伏 Translation: センプク - Submergence; concealment; lying hidden. ⚫︎伏兵 Translation: フクヘイ - A hidden soldier; an ambush.

The kanji 伏 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side of the character is a radical representing a person 人. The right side is a phonetic component, whose original form had a meaning related to “to bow down” or “to be in a low position." Combined, it suggests a person in a lowered or prone position.