Definitions

sháo (noun) spoon; ladle

Etymology

Pictograph of a ladle with food in it.

About

The character 勺 derives from an early pictographic representation of a ladle or spoon, which over time streamlined into its present form comprising the enclosing component 勹 and an interior dot, graphically suggesting a bowl holding a substance. Its primary meaning as a utensil for scooping remained central, but it also developed a metrological function as a unit for measuring volume, equivalent to a spoonful, thereby extending its use beyond concrete object nomenclature to quantitative application.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
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)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请给我一把子。

Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bǎ sháozi.

Please give me a spoon.

子放在桌子上。

Sháozi fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.

The spoon is placed on the table.

我用子喝汤。

Wǒ yòng sháozi hē tāng.

I use a spoon to drink soup.

妈妈用子搅拌锅里的菜。

Māma yòng sháozi jiǎobàn guō lǐ de cài.

Mom uses a spoon to stir the dishes in the pot.

这把子是不锈钢制成的。

Zhè bǎ sháozi shì bùxiùgāng zhì chéng de.

This spoon is made of stainless steel.

如果你需要子,就在抽屉里找。

Rúguǒ nǐ xūyào sháozi, jiù zài chōutì lǐ zhǎo.

If you need a spoon, look in the drawer.

厨师用大子从锅里舀出美味的汤。

Chúshī yòng dà sháozi cóng guō lǐ yǎo chū měiwèi de tāng.

The chef uses a big ladle to scoop out delicious soup from the pot.

在传统的中国厨房里,子是一种不可或缺的烹饪工具。

Zài chuántǒng de Zhōngguó chúfáng lǐ, sháozi shì yī zhǒng bùkě huò quē de pēngrèn gōngjù.

In traditional Chinese kitchens, the spoon is an indispensable cooking tool.