溯

遡

sù

朔 + 氵

Definitions

sù (verb) to trace back; to go upstream

Etymology

To seek the source 朔 of a river 氵

About

溯 is a phono-semantic compound. The left component, the water radical 氵, indicates its original connection to rivers and waterways. The right component, 朔 (meaning "new moon"), serves as the phonetic element, providing the character's pronunciation. Its original meaning referred to the physical act of going upstream toward a water's source. From this concrete action, the meaning metaphorically extended to encompass the abstract ideas of tracing origins, recalling the past, or seeking the root cause of events or phenomena.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们追溯历史。

Wǒmen zhuīsù lìshǐ.

We trace back history.

他喜欢回溯童年。

Tā xǐhuān huísù tóngnián.

He likes to recall childhood.

溯河而上可以看到美景。

Sù hé ér shàng kěyǐ kàn dào měijǐng.

Going upstream along the river, one can see beautiful scenery.

科学家追溯物种的进化。

Kēxuéjiā zhuīsù wùzhǒng de jìnhuà.

Scientists trace the evolution of species.

通过回溯过去，我们学习教训。

Tōngguò huísù guòqù, wǒmen xuéxí jiàoxun.

By looking back at the past, we learn lessons.

这条小溪溯源来自雪山。

Zhè tiáo xiǎo xī sù yuán lái zì xuě shān.

This small stream traces its source to the snow mountain.

在研究中，我们需要溯因推理。

Zài yánjiū zhōng, wǒmen xūyào sù yīn tuīlǐ.

In research, we need to use abductive reasoning.

为了彻底理解这个问题，我们必须追溯其历史背景并回溯相关事件。

Wèile chèdǐ lǐjiě zhège wèntí, wǒmen bìxū zhuīsù qí lìshǐ bèijǐng bìng huísù xiāngguān shìjiàn.

In order to thoroughly understand this issue, we must trace its historical background and recall related events.

Related Characters

Component: 朔

Component: 氵

溯