chǔ

clear

Original meaning: 

bush

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bush". The meaning later shifted to "distinct" and "clear".

Components
林 meaning component

  Meaning component

lín

  

forest

疋 sound component

  Sound component

shū

  

foot

Evolution

楚 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
楚 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
楚 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
楚 Clerical script Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
楚 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

chǔ

name of feudal state; clear; distinct; orderly; pain; suffering; deciduous bush used in Chinese medicine (genus Vitex); punishment cane (old)

 

Chǔ

surname Chu; abbr. for Hubei 湖北省[Hú​běi​Shěng] and Hunan 湖南省[Hú​nán​Shěng] provinces together; Chinese kingdom during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722-221 BC)

Most common words with 楚
Freq.
Word
Meaning

清楚

clear

clear

宋楚瑜

James Soong (1942-), Taiwanese politician expelled from Guomindang in 2000 when he founded People First Party 親民黨|亲民党

痛楚

pain

一清二楚

to be very clear about sth (idiom)

Component uses

Meaning component in 1 character (0 verified)

Sound component in 2 characters (1 verified)