Definitions

shāo tip of branch

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "梢" has maintained a consistent structure composed of the radical "木", indicating its arboreal association, and the phonetic component "肖", which also contributes a connotation of thinness or a diminishing tip. Its core meaning has always pertained to the slender, outermost part of a branch or twig, a definition that remains primary. From this concrete botanical origin, its application broadened semantically to denote any slender extremity or tip, as seen in terms for a rudder’s tip or a whip’s end. This conceptual framework of an endpoint further allowed the character to acquire more abstract meanings, such as the conclusion of a matter or a final outcome, thereby extending its utility from the physical into the temporal and resultant domains.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

鸟儿停在树上。

Niǎo er tíng zài shù shāo shàng.

The bird is perched on the treetop.

风吹动了柳树的

Fēng chuī dòng le liǔ shù de shāo.

The wind swayed the willow tree's twigs.

他看到了远处的树

Tā kàn dào le yuǎn chù de shù shāo.

He saw the treetops in the distance.

她的眉带着笑意。

Tā de méi shāo dài zhe xiào yì.

The tips of her eyebrows carried a hint of a smile.

月亮挂在树之间。

Yuè liang guà zài shù shāo zhī jiān.

The moon hangs between the treetops.

小猫爬上了树的头。

Xiǎo māo pá shàng le shù de shāo tóu.

The kitten climbed to the tip of the tree.

问题的末需要仔细处理。

Wèn tí de mò shāo xū yào zǐ xì chǔ lǐ.

The finer details of the problem require careful handling.

在神经末传递信号时速度非常快。

Zài shén jīng mò shāo chuán dì xìn hào shí sù dù fēi cháng kuài.

When signals are transmitted at nerve endings, the speed is very fast.