How to Write 蔌 (sù) — Meaning “Vegetables”

Imagine a bundle of vegetables (束) tied together with a grass ribbon (艹). The top radical 艹 looks like two leaves, and 束 looks like a bag tied shut, so picture a small sack of greens ready for cooking.

Write the top radical 艹 first as three strokes (horizontal, vertical, vertical). Then write 束: start with the horizontal stroke, then the mouth-like part (竖横折横), and finally the vertical stroke through the middle. A common mistake is making the 束 too wide or forgetting the vertical stroke that goes through the center.

蔌 (sù) means vegetables and uses 束. 莿 (cì) means thorn or splinter and uses 刺 as its phonetic, with the 艹 radical plus 刺. 菐 (pú) means a kind of rush plant and has the 艹 radical over 業 (ye). They look similar but have different bottom parts and completely different meanings.

蔌 is not common in daily speech; it appears in classical or literary expressions like 菜蔌 (vegetables) or 肴蔌 (meat and vegetable dishes). You may also see 蔌蔌 to describe a rustling sound of leaves or wind. It is more likely found in poetry or formal writing than in casual conversation.

Common words containing 蔌 include: 菜蔌 (cài sù) — vegetables (general term); 蔌蔌 (sù sù) — Rustling sound; 肴蔌 (yáo sù) — meat and vegetable dishes.