琐

瑣

suǒ

王 + 𭕆

Definitions

suǒ fragmentary; trifling

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: 王 Phonetic: ⺌

About

The character 琐 (suǒ), traditional form 瑣, is a phono-semantic compound. The jade radical 王 (yù) on the left indicates its original meaning: small, fragmented pieces of jade or precious stones. The right side 𧴪 (suǒ) provides the pronunciation. In the simplified form 琐, the complex phonetic element was replaced with 贝 (bèi, shell) and a small top component, reducing stroke count. This original sense of tiny jade fragments naturally extended to describe things that are trifling, trivial, or fragmented in everyday use, such as minor details or insignificant matters.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这些琐事真烦人。

Zhèxiē suǒshì zhēn fánrén.

These trivial matters are really annoying.

生活中有很多琐碎的事情。

Shēnghuó zhōng yǒu hěnduō suǒsuì de shìqíng.

There are many trivial things in life.

不要为琐屑小事争吵。

Bùyào wèi suǒxiè xiǎoshì zhēngchǎo.

Don't argue over trivial matters.

这项工作非常繁琐。

Zhè xiàng gōngzuò fēicháng fánsuǒ.

This work is very tedious.

她擅长处理日常琐务。

Tā shàncháng chǔlǐ rìcháng suǒwù.

She is good at handling daily trivial tasks.

经理被琐事缠身，无法专注。

Jīnglǐ bèi suǒshì chán shēn, wúfǎ zhuānzhù.

The manager is bogged down by trivial matters and cannot focus.

避免陷入琐碎的讨论中，要抓住重点。

Bìmiǎn xiànrù suǒsuì de tǎolùn zhōng, yào zhuāzhù zhòngdiǎn.

Avoid getting into trivial discussions and focus on the key points.

尽管这些琐屑之事看似微不足道，但积累起来却可能影响大局。

Jǐnguǎn zhèxiē suǒxiè zhī shì kàn sì wēi bù zú dào, dàn jīlěi qǐlái què kěnéng yǐngxiǎng dàjú.

Although these trivial things seem insignificant, they may affect the overall situation when accumulated.

Related Characters

Component: 王

Component: 𭕆

琐