Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
菹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
salted or pickled vegetablesg, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
marshlandunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
swampunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to minceunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to shredunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to mince human flesh and bonesunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
Taiwan pr. [ju1]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
salted or pickled vegetablesg, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
marshlandunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
swampunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to minceunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to shredunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
to mince human flesh and bonesunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
Taiwan pr. [ju1]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
(ju1)
primary
T1
  1. 1salted or pickled vegetables
  2. 2marshland
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(ju1)

The character 菹 (jū) refers to salted or pickled vegetables, often used in the context of traditional Chinese cuisine. It can also denote marshland or swamps, highlighting its connection to wetland environments. In some contexts, it is used in a more graphic sense, such as mincing human flesh and bones, although this usage is rare and quite specific.

Strokes11RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, pickled vegetables are a staple side dish, often served with rice or noodles, and are deeply rooted in traditional preservation methods. The use of 菹 reflects the importance of pickling in Chinese culinary practice.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef (representing 'mincing') in a lush marshland (symbolizing 'swamp') surrounded by jars of pickled vegetables. The character 菹 has the radical for 'plant' (艹) on top, representing the vegetation, while the bottom part can be visualized as a tool for cutting (mincing) the vegetables.

Meanings of 菹

(ju1)
primary
1salted or pickled vegetables
2marshland
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 菹

Simplified
11Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 菹

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 菹

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a chef (representing 'mincing') in a lush marshland (symbolizing 'swamp') surrounded by jars of pickled vegetables. The character 菹 has the radical for 'plant' (艹) on top, representing the vegetation, while the bottom part can be visualized as a tool for cutting (mincing) the vegetables.

Usage Notes

When using 菹, be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding terms. It is more common in culinary contexts, so ensure you are in an appropriate setting. Also, remember that the tone is important; mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

Although 菹 is not found in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with food-related terms and characters at HSK Level 3 and above. Students should focus on understanding its culinary applications and practice pronunciation to distinguish it from similar words.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, pickled vegetables are a staple side dish, often served with rice or noodles, and are deeply rooted in traditional preservation methods. The use of 菹 reflects the importance of pickling in Chinese culinary practice.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 菹 with similar sounding words, leading to misunderstandings. For example, saying 'jǔ' (举) instead of 'jū' can change the meaning entirely, as 举 means 'to raise' or 'to lift'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 菹

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 菹

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

plant

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 菹?

Decomposition of 菹

IDS Structure⿱艹沮
Full Character
=
cao3
top
ju3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 菹?

Write 菹

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 菹

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, pickled vegetables are a staple side dish, often served with rice or noodles, and are deeply rooted in traditional preservation methods. The use of 菹 reflects the importance of pickling in Chinese culinary practice.

Word Family of 菹

Words Containing This Character1
swamp
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 菹 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 菹

菹 specifically refers to pickled vegetables, whereas other characters may denote different types of food or preparation methods.