Definitions

shū (adjective) sparse; thin; scattered
shū (adjective) distant (relation); not close
shū (verb) to neglect; to be negligent
shū (verb) to dredge; to clear away obstruction

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the sound and represents the meaning. Based on the original meaning "unblock, get things flowing". The meaning later shifted to "open up", "sparse", "wide apart", and "neglect".

About

The character 疏 is a phono-semantic compound meaning "sparse", "distant", or "to clear away". It combines the semantic component 疋 (pǐ/shū), which originally related to the foot or walking, with the phonetic component 㐬 (liú). Its core idea is sparsity, things spread apart, lacking density or a tight structure, the opposite of being dense or intimate. This physical concept of separation extended metaphorically to describe distant or estranged interpersonal relationships, the act of dredging a river to remove blockages and allow smooth flow, and a state of negligence or carelessness, implying a lack of close attention.

Example Sentences Hide

忽了重要细节。

Tā shūhū le zhòngyào xìjié.

He neglected important details.

我们需要通这条堵塞的管道。

Wǒmen xūyào shūtōng zhè tiáo dǔsè de guǎndào.

We need to unclog this blocked pipe.

这篇文章结构有些松散。

Zhè piān wénzhāng jiégòu yǒuxiē sōngsǎn.

The structure of this article is somewhat loose.

他因于练习而退步了。

Tā yīn shū yú liànxí ér tuìbù le.

He regressed due to neglecting practice.

志愿者们帮忙散人群。

Zhìyuànzhě men bāngmáng shūsàn rénqún.

The volunteers helped to evacuate the crowd.

她对陌生人总是很远。

Tā duì mòshēngrén zǒng shì hěn shūyuǎn.

She is always very distant towards strangers.

政府采取措施导交通。

Zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔ cuòshī shūdǎo jiāotōng.

The government takes measures to guide the traffic flow.

多年的分离带来了离感。

Duō nián de fēnlí dàiláile shūlí gǎn.

Years of separation have brought a sense of alienation.