蓿

xù
宿 + 艹

Definitions

xù clover; lucerne; Taiwan pr. [sù]

Etymology phono-semantic

grass

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 宿

About

The character 蓿 is a phono-semantic compound that appears almost exclusively in the disyllabic word 苜蓿, meaning alfalfa or lucerne, a leguminous forage crop. Structurally, it consists of the grass radical 艹 on top, which serves as the semantic indicator categorizing it among plants, and the character 宿 (sù) below, which provides the sound. This formation mirrors that of its partner 苜 (mù, with grass radical atop 目), and together they represent a phonetic loan for the foreign plant name. The word 苜蓿 entered Chinese when the crop was introduced from western regions; the characters were deliberately chosen with the grass radical to hint at the botanical nature while approximating the original pronunciation, thus assimilating the loanword into the lexicon.

Example Sentences Hide

农场里种着苜蓿。

Nóngchǎng lǐ zhòng zhe mùxu.

Alfalfa is planted in the farm.

苜蓿是一种牧草。

Mùxu shì yī zhǒng mùcǎo.

Alfalfa is a type of forage grass.

农民正在收割苜蓿。

Nóngmín zhèngzài shōugē mùxu.

The farmers are harvesting alfalfa.

我们用苜蓿喂养牲畜。

Wǒmen yòng mùxu wèiyǎng shēngchù.

We use alfalfa to feed livestock.

新鲜的苜蓿很有营养。

Xīnxiān de mùxu hěn yǒu yíngyǎng.

Fresh alfalfa is very nutritious.

苜蓿比普通草料更优质。

Mùxu bǐ pǔtōng cǎoliào gèng yōuzhì.

Alfalfa is higher quality than ordinary fodder.

如果土壤肥沃，苜蓿会长得更好。

Rúguǒ tǔrǎng féiwò, mùxu huì zhǎng de gèng hǎo.

If the soil is fertile, alfalfa will grow better.

经过科学培育，这种苜蓿的产量显著提高。

Jīngguò kēxué péiyù, zhè zhǒng mùxu de chǎnliàng xiǎnzhù tígāo.

After scientific cultivation, the yield of this alfalfa has significantly increased.

Related Characters

Component: 宿

缩 縮 樎 蹜

Component: 艹

英 花 落 节 苏 苦 若 药 获 范 著 艺 草 藏

Example Words

苜蓿