Definitions

shā (particle) phonetic sha (used in transliteration)
suō (noun) type of sedge grass

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "莎" is formed by the grass radical positioned above the component "沙", which signifies sand and offers a phonetic cue, initially describing a category of sedge grass commonly associated with sandy terrain. Its earliest meaning was firmly botanical, referring to this particular plant, but over time the character began to be employed for its sound value in transliterating non-Chinese terms, such as in the adaptation of foreign names. This functional extension from a concrete plant reference to a phonetic carrier represents a meaningful shift in its linguistic role, all while its compositional structure has remained consistent.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

是我的妹妹。

Shā shā shì wǒ de mèi mei.

Shasha is my younger sister.

今天很高兴。

Shā shā jīn tiān hěn gāo xìng.

Shasha is very happy today.

我喜欢士比亚的戏剧。

Wǒ xǐ huān Shā shì bǐ yǎ de xì jù.

I like Shakespeare's plays.

拉是一位著名的歌手。

Shā lā shì yī wèi zhù míng de gē shǒu.

Sarah is a famous singer.

河边的草很茂盛。

Hé biān de suō cǎo hěn mào shèng.

The sedges by the river are very lush.

翁的作品影响深远。

Shā wēng de zuò pǐn yǐng xiǎng shēn yuǎn.

Shakespeare's works have a profound influence.

在图书馆里我找到了一本关于草植物的书。

Zài tú shū guǎn lǐ wǒ zhǎo dào le yī běn guān yú suō cǎo zhí wù de shū.

In the library I found a book about sedge plants.

尽管遇到了困难但她仍然坚持学习。

Jǐn guǎn shā shā yù dào le kùn nán dàn tā réng rán jiān chí xué xí.

Although Shasha encountered difficulties she still persisted in studying.