蔬菜 (shū cài) — vegetables

Definition

noun
vegetables
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 蔬菜。
    Mā ma měi tiān dōu huì mǎi xīn xiān de shū cài.
    Mom buys fresh vegetables every day.
  • 蔬菜。
    Zhè zhǒng shū cài shì hé zuò shā lā.
    This kind of vegetable is suitable for making salad.
  • 蔬菜。
    Duō chī shū cài duì shēn tǐ yǒu hǎo chù.
    Eating more vegetables is good for your health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蔬shūvegetable
菜càivegetable

Both 蔬 and 菜 refer to edible plants, so together they name vegetables.

Characters in this word

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
艹艹ǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
疏
疏shū蔬shū
Same sound today

蔬 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 疏, which shows how it is pronounced.

Open 蔬 →

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cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi菜cài
Same sound today

菜 has 艹 (grass/plants) on top and 采 below; the top part shows it is a plant, while 采 gives the sound.

Open 菜 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Vegetables

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