Definitions

(noun) reed; rush

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "芦", which is the simplified form of the traditional character "蘆", originates from a botanical context, with its grass radical "艹" consistently signaling its association with plants. In the traditional form, the component "盧" served primarily as a phonetic indicator, while the simplified version replaces this with "户", a component that reduces stroke count but generally does not carry semantic weight in this context. The character's core meaning has long been tied to reed-like plants, specifically denoting the common reed in early usage, and it continues to function in modern compounds such as "芦苇" for reed and "芦荟" for aloe, reflecting a stable semantic focus on specific vegetation despite the structural alteration from its traditional counterpart.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

池塘边长满了苇。

Chítáng biān zhǎng mǎn le lúwěi.

The pond side is full of reeds.

荟对皮肤很好。

Lúhuì duì pífū hěn hǎo.

Aloe is good for the skin.

妈妈用荟凝胶。

Māma yòng lúhuì níngjiāo.

Mom uses aloe gel.

夏天苇很茂盛。

Xiàtiān lúwěi hěn màoshèng.

In summer, reeds are lush.

笋是一种健康蔬菜。

Lúsǔn shì yī zhǒng jiànkāng shūcài.

Asparagus is a healthy vegetable.

他喜欢吹奏笛。

Tā xǐhuān chuīzòu lúdí.

He likes to play the reed pipe.

这个葫形状很特别。

Zhège húlu xíngzhuàng hěn tèbié.

This gourd has a very special shape.

苇丛中栖息着多种水鸟。

Lúwěi cóng zhōng qīxī zhe duō zhǒng shuǐniǎo.

Various water birds inhabit the reed thicket.