How to Write 筲 (shāo) — Meaning “bamboo basket (for rice)”

Imagine a bamboo basket (竹) that looks like a small ladle or scoop (肖, like a spoon shape). This visual of a bamboo scoop for rice helps link the character to its meaning.

When writing 筲, make sure the top part (竹) is wide enough to cover the bottom component, and the bottom 肖 should be centered. Common mistakes include writing the 竹 radical too narrow or misplacing the dot in 肖 — the dot should be above the small 月-like shape, not inside.

笙 (shēng) is a bamboo mouth organ, 笛 (dí) is a bamboo flute — both are musical instruments. In contrast, 筲 is a practical bamboo basket for holding rice or water. Visually, 笙 adds 生 below 竹, 笛 adds 由, while 筲 uses 肖, so the bottom component differs.

筲 is less common in daily speech today, but it appears in idioms like 斗筲 (dòu shāo), meaning narrow-minded, referring to small bamboo baskets that hold little. It is also found in regional words like 水筲 (water bucket) in northern dialects, showing its historical role in carrying water or grain.

Common words containing 筲 include: 筲箕 (shāo jī) — bamboo basket; sieve basket; 水筲 (shuǐ shāo) — Water bucket; 斗筲 (dòu shāo) — Narrow-minded / Small capacity.