How to Write 薮 (sǒu) — Meaning “Marsh / Thicket”

Imagine a marsh or thicket where you try to count (数) all the different grasses (艹) growing there. The number of plants is so huge that you lose count, helping you connect the meaning of 'marsh' with the components 艹 and 数.

The top grass radical 艹 should be narrow, covering about the top third of the character. The bottom part 数 is wider and consists of 米 on the left, 女 in the middle, and 攵 on the right; be careful to keep these three parts balanced and not squeeze them together. A common mistake is making the 米 too small or forgetting the short diagonal stroke in 攵.

薮 means a marsh or thicket, while 蒟 (jǔ) refers to a type of vine and 蒻 (ruò) refers to a kind of tender grass; both appear in the word 蒟蒻 (konjac). Visually, 薮 has 数 (number) under the grass radical, 蒟 has 句 (sentence), and 蒻 has 弱 (weak). Their meanings and uses are completely different, so focus on the bottom part to distinguish them.

薮 is not a common everyday character; it appears mainly in literary or formal expressions. The most frequent word is 渊薮 (yuān sǒu), meaning a gathering place or hotbed, often used in phrases like 罪恶渊薮 (den of vice). You may also encounter 薮泽 (sǒu zé) for marshland in geographic or classical texts.

Common words containing 薮 include: 渊薮 (yuān sǒu) — A gathering place or hotbed.; 薮泽 (sǒu zé) — Marshland; 蜂薮 (fēng sǒu) — A swarm of bees / A gathering place.