蒲 (pú) — cattail (a kind of plant); (surname) Pu

Definition

noun
cattail (a kind of plant)(surname) Pu
Measure word · 棵
Easily confused

Examples

  • 蒲。
    Shuǐ biān cháng le xǔ duō xiāng pú.
    Many cattails grow by the water.
  • 蒲。
    Zhè wèi xiān sheng xìng pú.
    This gentleman's surname is Pu.
  • 蒲。
    Xiāng pú de yè zi kě yǐ yòng lái zuò xí zi.
    The leaves of cattails can be used to make mats.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎovegetation
Sound part声符shēngfú
浦
浦pǔ蒲pú
Same sound today

蒲 has 艹 (vegetation) on top to show it is a plant, and 浦 to give its sound.

Appears in
Plants & Flowers

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