About
The character 菽 (shū) is a phono-semantic compound for beans and leguminous plants: the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) at the top indicates the plant category, and the phonetic 叔 (shū) below gives the sound. It was the primary classical collective term for soybeans and legumes before 豆 (dòu) became common, appearing widely in agricultural and historical texts. Its everyday use declined over time, and it now survives in literary, historical, and formal agricultural contexts.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.