筱 (xiǎo) — dwarf bamboo; thin bamboo

Definition

筱 (xiǎo) is a literary/poetic word for 'dwarf bamboo' — almost always seen as 筱竹 in writing, not in everyday speech. Modern Chinese rarely uses it alone; recognize it in literary contexts.

noun
dwarf bamboothin bamboo
Measure word · 棵
Easily confused

Examples

  • 筱。
    Zhè zhǒng xiǎo zhú shēng zhǎng zài nán fāng de shān qū.
    This kind of dwarf bamboo grows in the southern mountains.
  • 筱，。
    xiǎo Zhú de jīng hěn xì, kě yǐ yòng lái zuò shǒu gōng yì pǐn.
    The stem of the dwarf bamboo is very thin and can be used to make handicrafts.
  • 筱，。
    Yuàn zi lǐ zhǒng le jǐ kē xiǎo zhú, xiǎn de hěn yǒu shī yì.
    A few dwarf bamboos were planted in the yard, making it look very poetic.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu筱
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

筱 is made of 竹 (bamboo) and 攸; the 攸 part gives the sound.

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