About
The character 楚, with its traditional form consisting of 林 (forest) above 疋 (a phonetic component historically associated with foot or movement), originally referred to a thorny shrub known as the Chinese chaste tree or similar vegetation. This botanical meaning directly influenced its adoption as the name for the ancient state of Chu, located in a region where such plants were common. From this core, the character's meanings diversified: the prickly quality of the plant contributed to connotations of pain or suffering, as seen in terms like 痛楚, while its use in denoting clarity, such as in 清楚, likely arose from associations with sharpness or distinctness derived from the same source. The structural integrity of 林 and 疋 has been maintained, reflecting the character's enduring link to its vegetal origins and subsequent semantic extensions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请你说清楚。
他的话很清楚。
我清楚记得那天。
她喜欢看楚剧。
楚国是古代的国家。
他感到一阵痛楚。
她的眼神很凄楚。
他对这个问题的立场非常清楚。