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菽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
菽shūlegumeszg, 11 strokes, radical 艹
菽shūlegumes (peas and beans)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹
shū(shu1)shu T1
  1. 1legumes
  2. 2legumes (peas and beans)
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March 24, 2026

菽shū(shu1)

The character 菽 (shū) refers specifically to legumes, which include various types of peas and beans. This term is often used in agricultural contexts or when discussing food, particularly in traditional Chinese cuisine where legumes play an important role as a source of protein and nutrition.

Strokes11Radical艹
Cultural note

Legumes have been a staple in Chinese diets for centuries, often used in dishes during festivals and special occasions, symbolizing prosperity and abundance. The character 菽 is sometimes mentioned in ancient texts, highlighting its historical significance in agriculture.

Memory tip

Think of 菽 (shū) as a 'shoo' for beans. The character features the radical for plants (艹) on top, suggesting that these are plant-based foods. Imagine a farmer shooing away pests from his legume crops!

Meanings of 菽

shū(shu1)
1legumes
2legumes (peas and beans)
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 菽 means.

About 菽

菽Simplified
11Strokes
艹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 菽

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Podcast: 菽

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AI study notes for 菽

Quick Contrast

豆 (dòu) vs 菜 (cài) — use 菽 for a more specific reference to legumes, while 豆 can refer to beans in general, and 菜 is broader, encompassing all vegetables.

Usage Notes

This term is somewhat formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, where people might simply refer to specific types of beans or peas instead. Be careful with the tone; 菽 is pronounced with a flat tone (first tone) which might be confused with the more casual terms for beans or peas.

HSK Study Tips

Although 菽 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with HSK Level 3 words like 豆 (dòu, bean). Students should focus on recognizing this character in agricultural or culinary contexts and relate it to other food-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 菽 with other similar characters like 豆 (dòu), which means bean in a more general sense. For example, saying '我喜欢菽' (Wǒ xǐhuān shū - I like legumes) can sound awkward; it's better to specify a type of legume, like '我喜欢豆' (Wǒ xǐhuān dòu - I like beans).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 菽

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Etymology of 菽

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

plant

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

Origin

菽 = 艹 + 叔. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 菽

IDS Structure⿱艹叔
菽Full character
=
艹cao3
top
叔shu1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 菽?

How to say legumes in Chinese

“legumes” in Chinese is菽shū

The character 菽 (shū) refers specifically to legumes, which include various types of peas and beans. This term is often used in agricultural contexts or when discussing food, particularly in traditional Chinese cuisine where legumes play an important role as a source of protein and nutrition.

When to use 菽

This term is somewhat formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation, where people might simply refer to specific types of beans or peas instead. Be careful with the tone; 菽 is pronounced with a flat tone (first tone) which might be confused with the more casual terms for beans or peas.

菽 or something close to it

豆 (dòu) vs 菜 (cài) — use 菽 for a more specific reference to legumes, while 豆 can refer to beans in general, and 菜 is broader, encompassing all vegetables.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 菽 with other similar characters like 豆 (dòu), which means bean in a more general sense. For example, saying '我喜欢菽' (Wǒ xǐhuān shū - I like legumes) can sound awkward; it's better to specify a type of legume, like '我喜欢豆' (Wǒ xǐhuān dòu - I like beans).

Write 菽

菽

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

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Word Family of 菽

Words containing this character3
菽shūlegumes (peas and beans)
布帛菽粟food and clothing
不辨菽麦lit. cannot tell beans from wheat (idiom); fig. ignorant of practical matters不辨菽麥
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 菽

What does 布帛菽粟 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 菽

It is pronounced as 'shū' with a flat first tone.

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