瓢

piáo

瓜 + 票

Definitions

piáo dipper; ladle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 瓜 represents the meaning and 票 represents the sound.

Semantic: 瓜 Phonetic: 票

About

瓢 is a phono-semantic compound: 瓜 (melon, gourd) indicates the meaning, and 票 provides the sound. It originally referred to a rustic dipper or ladle made by halving and drying a bottle gourd, a household item used for scooping water or measuring grain. Over time, its meaning expanded to include any ladle or scoop resembling a gourd dipper, though the character still primarily denotes the original gourd utensil.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我用水瓢舀水。

Wǒ yòng shuǐpiáo yǎo shuǐ.

I use a water dipper to scoop water.

奶奶用瓢盛汤。

Nǎinai yòng piáo chéng tāng.

Grandma uses a ladle to serve soup.

他在厨房里拿了一个瓢。

Tā zài chúfáng lǐ nále yī gè piáo.

He took a ladle in the kitchen.

这个木头瓢很轻。

Zhège mùtou piáo hěn qīng.

This wooden ladle is very light.

花园里有许多瓢虫。

Huāyuán lǐ yǒu xǔduō piáochóng.

There are many ladybugs in the garden.

如果你需要水，可以用那个瓢。

Rúguǒ nǐ xūyào shuǐ, kěyǐ yòng nàge piáo.

If you need water, you can use that ladle.

他用瓢浇水，花都活了。

Tā yòng piáo jiāo shuǐ, huā dōu huó le.

He watered with a ladle, and the flowers all revived.

虽然瓢看起来简单，但很有用。

Suīrán piáo kàn qǐlái jiǎndān, dàn hěn yǒuyòng.

Although the ladle looks simple, it is very useful.

Related Characters

Component: 瓜

Component: 票

瓢