Definitions

xiǎo dwarf bamboo; thin bamboo

Etymology ideographic

Distant  bamboo ⺮;  provides the pronunciation

About

The character "筱", traditionally written as "篠", is composed of the bamboo radical and the phonetic component "攸", which together originally designated a particular variety of small bamboo. Its etymology places it within the semantic category of bamboo plants, with "攸" serving primarily to suggest pronunciation. While the core meaning remains tied to this specific bamboo, the character's usage expanded metaphorically to describe anything notably slender or delicate, an extension derived from the physical attributes of the plant itself. Structurally, both forms retain the same phonetic element, with the traditional version employing the full "竹" radical and the simplified form using the abbreviated "⺮" variant.

Etymology Hide

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

Example Sentences Hide

雨今天来了。

Xiǎo yǔ jīntiān lái le.

Xiaoyu came today.

喜欢看书。

Xiǎo xiǎo xǐhuān kànshū.

Xiaoxiao likes reading books.

竹在院子里生长。

Xiǎo zhú zài yuànzi lǐ shēngzhǎng.

Bamboo shoots grow in the yard.

她的名字叫雅。

Tā de míngzi jiào xiǎo yǎ.

Her name is Xiaoya.

雨正在学习钢琴。

Xiǎo yǔ zhèngzài xuéxí gāngqín.

Xiaoyu is learning piano.

昨天雅获得了比赛冠军。

Zuótiān xiǎo yǎ huòdé le bǐsài guànjūn.

Yesterday, Xiaoya won the competition championship.

尽管天气不好,雨还是决定去爬山。

Jǐnguǎn tiānqì bù hǎo, xiǎo yǔ háishì juédìng qù páshān.

Despite the bad weather, Xiaoyu still decided to go hiking.

雅不仅聪明,而且非常努力。

Xiǎo yǎ bùjǐn cōngmíng, érqiě fēicháng nǔlì.

Xiaoya is not only smart but also very hardworking.