勺

sháo

丶 + 勹

Definitions

sháo (noun) spoon; ladle

Etymology

Pictograph of a ladle with food in it.

About

The character 勺 (sháo) is an early pictograph of a ladle with food in it. Its curved outer stroke outlines the bowl of the ladle, while the inner dot represents the food it holds. As a common noun, 勺 refers to a spoon or similar utensil for serving food and transferring liquids. It also became a traditional unit of volume, used for measuring wine, grain, and cooking ingredients.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请给我一把勺子。

Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bǎ sháozi.

Please give me a spoon.

勺子放在桌子上。

Sháozi fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.

The spoon is placed on the table.

我用勺子喝汤。

Wǒ yòng sháozi hē tāng.

I use a spoon to drink soup.

妈妈用勺子搅拌锅里的菜。

Māma yòng sháozi jiǎobàn guō lǐ de cài.

Mom uses a spoon to stir the dishes in the pot.

这把勺子是不锈钢制成的。

Zhè bǎ sháozi shì bùxiùgāng zhì chéng de.

This spoon is made of stainless steel.

如果你需要勺子，就在抽屉里找。

Rúguǒ nǐ xūyào sháozi, jiù zài chōutì lǐ zhǎo.

If you need a spoon, look in the drawer.

厨师用大勺子从锅里舀出美味的汤。

Chúshī yòng dà sháozi cóng guō lǐ yǎo chū měiwèi de tāng.

The chef uses a big ladle to scoop out delicious soup from the pot.

在传统的中国厨房里，勺子是一种不可或缺的烹饪工具。

Zài chuántǒng de Zhōngguó chúfáng lǐ, sháozi shì yī zhǒng bùkě huò quē de pēngrèn gōngjù.

In traditional Chinese kitchens, the spoon is an indispensable cooking tool.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 丶

Component: 勹

勺