How to Write 簸 (bǒ/bò) — Meaning “to winnow / to jolt / to toss”

Imagine a bamboo basket (竹) on top of a bowl (bǒ sounds like "bowl"). You shake the bowl to toss the grain inside, causing it to jolt and bump. This connects the shape to the meanings of winnowing and jolting.

The top bamboo radical 竹 should be compact, only taking up about one-third of the character height. The bottom part 畚 has three layers: 大 (big) on top, 田 (field) in the middle, and two vertical strokes (廾) at the bottom—make sure each part is balanced and the whole character is not too narrow.

All three share the bamboo radical, but their bottom parts differ. 簸 has 畚 (winnowing basket), 篼 has 兜 (a pouch or deep basket), and 篾 has 蔑 (thin bamboo strips). In meaning, 簸 is about winnowing or jolting, 篼 refers to a container, and 篾 refers to bamboo strips used for weaving.

簸 appears most often in the word 颠簸 (diān bǒ), meaning to bump or jolt, such as in a bumpy car ride. It is also used in 簸荡 (bǒ dàng) for rocking or tossing. The original winnowing meaning is now rare, but the character still lives on in these motion-related terms.

Common words containing 簸 include: 颠簸 (diān bǒ) — To bump; to jolt; 簸荡 (bǒ dàng) — To rock; to surge; to toss about.; 簸箕 (bò jī) — dustpan / winnowing fan.