芍 (sháo): Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflo…

Meanings

花园里的芍药开得正盛。

Huāyuán lǐ de sháoyao kāi de zhèng shèng.

The peonies in the garden are in full bloom.

芍药根是常用的中药。

Sháoyao gēn shì chángyòng de zhōngyào.

Peony root is a common ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine.

usage

Nearly always seen in the two-syllable word 芍药 (peony). Don't confuse the peony with the tree peony 牡丹 — they look alike but are different plants.

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant (top radical)

Grass radical on top, the cap-form of 草. It marks this as a plant name — here a flowering herb. Same family as 花 flower, 茶 tea, 药 medicinal herb.

phonetic

勺 sháo

spoon; ladle

Bottom 勺 supplies the sound sháo directly — a ladle shape lending only its reading, not its meaning, to this flower name.

芍 sháo