琐

瑣

suǒ

王 + 𭕆

Definitions

suǒ fragmentary; trifling

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: 王 Phonetic: ⺌

About

琐 (suǒ) is the simplified version of the traditional 瑣. 瑣 is a phono-semantic compound: the left side is the jade radical 王 (yù), originally pointing to small, fragmented pieces of jade or precious stones, while the right side is the phonetic component 𧴪 (suǒ), which indicates the pronunciation. When the character was simplified, the complex 𧴪 was replaced with a combination of 贝 (bèi, meaning 'shell' or 'cowrie') and a small element on top, thus reducing the stroke count and giving the character a balanced appearance. From its original reference to tiny jade fragments, the meaning then expanded to describe anything trifling, trivial, or fragmentary in daily life, such as minor details or insignificant matters.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这些琐事真烦人。

Zhèxiē suǒshì zhēn fánrén.

These trivial matters are really annoying.

生活中有很多琐碎的事情。

Shēnghuó zhōng yǒu hěnduō suǒsuì de shìqíng.

There are many trivial things in life.

不要为琐屑小事争吵。

Bùyào wèi suǒxiè xiǎoshì zhēngchǎo.

Don't argue over trivial matters.

这项工作非常繁琐。

Zhè xiàng gōngzuò fēicháng fánsuǒ.

This work is very tedious.

她擅长处理日常琐务。

Tā shàncháng chǔlǐ rìcháng suǒwù.

She is good at handling daily trivial tasks.

经理被琐事缠身，无法专注。

Jīnglǐ bèi suǒshì chán shēn, wúfǎ zhuānzhù.

The manager is bogged down by trivial matters and cannot focus.

避免陷入琐碎的讨论中，要抓住重点。

Bìmiǎn xiànrù suǒsuì de tǎolùn zhōng, yào zhuāzhù zhòngdiǎn.

Avoid getting into trivial discussions and focus on the key points.

尽管这些琐屑之事看似微不足道，但积累起来却可能影响大局。

Jǐnguǎn zhèxiē suǒxiè zhī shì kàn sì wēi bù zú dào, dàn jīlěi qǐlái què kěnéng yǐngxiǎng dàjú.

Although these trivial things seem insignificant, they may affect the overall situation when accumulated.

Related Characters

Component: 王

Component: 𭕆

琐