蒲

pú

浦 + 艹

Definitions

pú surname Pu; old place name

pú refers to various monocotyledonous flowering plants including Acorus calamus and Typha orientalis; common cattail; bullrush

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 浦 represents the sound.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 浦

About

蒲 is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 艹 (cǎo) at the top, indicating a plant, and the component 浦 (pǔ) at the bottom, providing the pronunciation. It refers to tall aquatic plants like cattails or bulrushes that grow in shallow water and marshes. Due to the flexibility and durability of their leaves and stems, these plants were historically woven into mats, cushions, fans, and baskets, reflecting their practical use in daily life.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

蒲公英是常见植物。

Púgōngyīng shì chángjiàn zhíwù.

Dandelions are common plants.

奶奶用蒲扇扇风。

Nǎinai yòng púshàn shān fēng.

Grandma uses a palm leaf fan to create a breeze.

河岸边生长着许多香蒲。

Hé àn biān shēngzhǎng zhe xǔduō xiāngpú.

Many cattails grow along the riverbank.

他跪在蒲团上祈祷。

Tā guì zài pútuán shàng qídǎo.

He knelt on the rush cushion to pray.

微风把蒲公英的种子吹走了。

Wēifēng bǎ púgōngyīng de zhǒngzi chuī zǒu le.

The breeze blew away the dandelion seeds.

这把陈旧的蒲扇承载着童年的记忆。

Zhè bǎ chénjiù de púshàn chéngzài zhe tóngnián de jìyì.

This old palm fan carries memories of childhood.

这片湿地是蒲草繁茂生长的理想环境。

Zhè piàn shīdì shì púcǎo fánmào shēngzhǎng de lǐxiǎng huánjìng.

This wetland is an ideal environment for the lush growth of bulrushes.

植物园的水生植物区展示了多种蒲类。

Zhíwùyuán de shuǐshēng zhíwù qū zhǎnshì le duō zhǒng pú lèi.

The aquatic plant section of the botanical garden displays various types of rushes.

Related Characters

Component: 浦

蒲