叔shū

叔

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified Chinese (簡體). 叔 (shū, "uncle") remains unchanged from traditional to simplified — its left component 又 depicts a hand reaching toward 尗, which originally represented beans, once picturing the act of harvesting in ancient script. This agricultural meaning was later borrowed to mean a father's younger brother, the character shifting from harvest to family as language evolved.

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Shuowen

The character depicts a hand reaching downward to grasp something growing from the ground—the left component represents beans or vegetation rooted in earth, while the right component is a hand. This pictograph originally depicted the act of harvesting or picking crops, and the meaning "uncle" developed later through phonetic borrowing.

Pinyin

shū· HSK 2

叔shū

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin