Classical grammar words in the Dao De Jing
夫 fú
In the Dao De Jing, 夫 (fú) mostly opens a sentence as a particle, “now, indeed” (15 times); once it is a demonstrative, “those” (1), and once a final exclamation (1).
Read fú, 夫 is a function word with three places in the sentence. At the head, it announces a general statement or a new point, much like “Now, …” in an argument. Before a noun, it points: “that, those”. At the end, it adds a sigh of exclamation. Read fū, it is a noun, “man”, as in 大丈夫, “the great man” (chapter 38).
The book's favorite opening is 夫唯, “precisely because”, which the site treats as one word: 夫唯不争 (chapter 22). In modern Chinese the particle has gone; 夫 survives as fū in 丈夫 “husband” and 农夫 “farmer”.
夫 as “now, indeed (opening particle)”
Pattern 夫 + statement
An opening particle at the head of a sentence. It has no meaning of its own: it marks the sentence as a general statement or a new step in the argument, and English usually leaves it out. 夫礼者，忠信之薄而乱之首 (chapter 38): “Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trust, and the start of disorder.” It often heads a topic that 者 then closes, as here, or a question: 夫何故 (chapter 50), “Why is this?”
15 times in 15 lines.
夫物芸芸，各复归其根。
Of all things diverse and varied, each returns to its root.
Chapter 16, line 3夫佳兵者，不祥之器。
Fine weapons are instruments of ill omen.
Chapter 31, line 1夫乐杀人者，
One who delights in killing people
Chapter 31, line 9夫亦将知止。
one should also know when to stop.
Chapter 32, line 8夫亦将无欲。
brings an end to desire.
Chapter 37, line 7夫礼者，忠信之薄而乱之首。
Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trust, and the start of disorder.
Chapter 38, line 11
Show 9 more lines
夫何故？
Why is this?
Chapter 50, line 7夫何故？
Why is this?
Chapter 50, line 13道之尊，德之贵，夫莫之命而常自然。
The Way is honored and virtue valued not by anyone's command, but always of themselves.
Chapter 51, line 4夫两不相伤，故德交归焉。
Since neither harms the other, their virtue flows back to the people.
Chapter 60, line 5夫两者各得其所欲，
For both to get what they want,
Chapter 61, line 12夫轻诺必寡信，
Light promises always earn little trust;
Chapter 63, line 9夫慈以战则胜，以守则固。
With compassion, one wins in battle and holds firm in defense.
Chapter 67, line 14夫代司杀者杀，
To kill in the executioner's place
Chapter 74, line 8夫代大匠斫者，
Those who cut in the master carpenter's place
Chapter 74, line 10
夫 as “those, that”
Pattern 夫 + noun
A demonstrative before a noun, “that, those”, pointing at people the reader can picture: 使夫智者不敢为也 (chapter 3), “make the clever ones not dare to act”, word for word “make those clever ones …”. It is used this way once in the book.
Once, in one line.
常使民无知无欲，使夫智者不敢为也，
Always keep the people without knowledge and without desire, and make the clever ones not dare to act.
Chapter 3, line 6
夫 as “final exclamation”
Pattern …… 也夫！
A final particle of exclamation, at the very end of a sentence, here after 也: 久矣其细也夫 (chapter 67), “it would long since have become small!” It is used this way once in the book.
Once, in one line.
若肖，久矣其细也夫！
If it resembled something, it would long since have become small!
Chapter 67, line 4
How to tell them apart
Position is almost everything. At the head of the sentence, 夫 opens it: 夫物芸芸 (chapter 16). At the very end, it exclaims: 也夫！ (chapter 67). In the middle, right before a noun, it points: in 使夫智者 (chapter 3) it follows the verb 使 “make”, so it cannot be opening a sentence.
Before 唯 it is part of 夫唯, “precisely because”, a word of its own on this site. Before 两 “the two” or 亦 “also”, as in 夫两不相伤 (chapter 60), it is still the opening particle.