How to Write 尗 (shū) — Meaning “Legume; bean (ancient form)”

Imagine a tiny bean plant with two small leaves on top (the top strokes) and a little pod underneath (the bottom part). The character looks like a small plant with a bean hanging down, reminding you of its meaning 'bean'.

Start with the top horizontal stroke, then the two small vertical strokes descending from it, followed by the middle horizontal stroke, and finally the bottom small component. A common mistake is making the top part too wide; keep it narrow and balanced, similar to writing 小 but with an extra horizontal line.

尗 differs from 少 (shǎo, few) by having an extra horizontal line in the middle, while 少 has a slanted stroke. Compared to 尔 (ěr, you/thus), 尗 has a different bottom structure: 尔 has a small hook or dot, whereas 尗 ends with two small strokes like a tiny person. Their meanings are unrelated.

尗 is an ancient character rarely used alone today, but it appears in classical texts and compound words like 尗豆 (shū dòu, beans) and 尗粟 (shū sù, beans and millet). It is not in modern HSK vocabulary, so learners may encounter it only in historical or literary contexts.

Common words containing 尗 include: 尗豆 (shū dòu) — Beans; 尗粟 (shū sù) — Beans and millet; 拾尗 (shí shū) — to pick up beans.