Definitions
broom
variant of 帚[zhǒu]
Etymology
Pictograph of a broom.
About
The character "帚" originally depicted a bundle of plant fibers bound together to form a tool for sweeping, a pictograph that directly informs its enduring meaning as a broom or besom. Over time, its form became more stylized and regularized, settling into the now-familiar top-heavy shape with descending strokes that suggest the bristles of the implement. While its core definition as a cleaning tool has remained stable, its primary modern function is as a bound morpheme, most commonly encountered in the compound "掃帚" meaning broom, where it serves as the object upon which the action of "掃" (to sweep) is performed. This character also functions as a verb in classical texts, carrying the meaning "to sweep clean", demonstrating how its conceptual role expanded from the tool itself to the action it performs.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈用扫帚打扫房间。
我把扫帚放在门后。
奶奶用炊帚刷锅。
因为地板脏了，所以我拿起了扫帚。
那把旧的竹扫帚很好用。
每天早晨，他用扫帚清扫庭院。
虽然扫帚很小，但它能打扫大房间。
被遗忘的扫帚在角落里积满了灰尘。