苏

Top indexing grass radical - Kangxi #140 in its 3-stroke compressed form, two crossed sprouts. 苏 originally meant the perilla plant (紫苏), a fragrant herb used in cooking and medicine. The grass radical anchors 苏 in the botanical family alongside 草 (grass), 花 (flower), 茶 (tea), 药 (medicine).

Bottom 办 - graphic substitute from the 1956 simplification reform. Traditional 蘇 had 魚 (fish) + 禾 (grain) below the grass, depicting the rich variety of life that 'revives' things. The reformed 办 was chosen for its simple shape rather than its meaning; treat as a graphic residue, not a true semantic.