苣 (qǔ): (in 苣荬菜) field sowthistle (a wi…

Meanings

春天村民去挖苣荬菜。

Chūntiān cūnmín qù wā qǔmaicài.

In spring villagers go and dig wild sowthistle.

苣荬菜微苦，却很养生。

Qǔmaicài wēi kǔ, què hěn yǎngshēng.

Sowthistle is slightly bitter but very good for you.

usage

This reading 苣 appears only in 苣荬菜 (field sowthistle, a wild edible green). For the common vegetable lettuce, use the jù reading in 莴苣.

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant

Top 艹 is the grass radical 艸 in top form. It marks 苣 as a leafy plant — lettuce.

phonetic

巨 jù

huge; phonetic

Below sits 巨 supplying the sound exactly (jù = jù). The same phonetic anchors 距 (distance) and 拒 (to refuse).

苣 qǔ