椒

jiāo

叔 + 木

Definitions

jiāo (noun) pepper

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 叔 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 叔

About

椒 is a phono-semantic compound: 木 (wood, tree) indicates a plant, while 叔 (uncle) represents the sound, originally shū (modern jiāo). The character first referred to Sichuan pepper and similar aromatic shrubs, their spicy seeds prized in cooking, medicine, and ceremonies. Following the arrival of foreign spices like chili and black pepper, its use broadened into a general term for pungent botanical ingredients.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

辣椒是红色的。

Làjiāo shì hóngsè de.

Chili peppers are red.

我在菜里放了花椒。

Wǒ zài cài lǐ fàngle huājiāo.

I put Sichuan pepper in the dish.

四川菜常用花椒调味。

Sìchuān cài cháng yòng huājiāo tiáowèi.

Sichuan cuisine often uses Sichuan pepper for seasoning.

辣椒酱的味道很独特。

Làjiāo jiàng de wèidào hěn dútè.

Chili sauce has a unique taste.

虽然辣椒很辣，但是很多人爱吃。

Suīrán làjiāo hěn là, dànshì hěnduō rén ài chī.

Although chili peppers are spicy, many people love eating them.

花椒的麻味让舌头感觉很有趣。

Huājiāo de má wèi ràng shétou gǎnjué hěn yǒuqù.

The numbing taste of Sichuan pepper makes the tongue feel interesting.

辣椒素是辣椒中的辣味成分。

Làjiāosù shì làjiāo zhōng de là wèi chéngfèn.

Capsaicin is the spicy component in chili peppers.

在烹饪中，花椒和辣椒的搭配能产生丰富的层次感。

Zài pēngrèn zhōng, huājiāo hé làjiāo de dāpèi néng chǎnshēng fēngfù de céngcì gǎn.

In cooking, the combination of Sichuan pepper and chili pepper can produce a rich sense of layers.

Related Characters

Component: 叔

Component: 木

椒