elementary, principle, naked, uncovered
素 centers on the idea of something in its raw, unadorned state: elementary, naked, or uncovered. From this core, it extends to fundamental principles or the basic material from which things are made.
素 originally depicted a hand holding a tool for working with raw silk, combining elements that suggest undyed, natural silk. Over time, it came to mean 'raw material' or 'elementary state'.
The top 龶 looks like a plant or raw material, and the bottom 糸 is thread. Imagine undyed silk thread straight from the cocoon—pure, naked, and elementary.
For ソ, picture a raw silk thread being sewn into a simple cloth: sew -> ソ, and the thread is still in its elementary, uncovered state.
wonderful; splendid; magnificent
lovely; wonderful; charming; enchanting; nice; great; splendid; marvellous (marvelous); fantastic; superb
component; factor; item (e.g. in list)
ingredient; (raw) material; resource
amateur; layman; ordinary person; novice
obedient; meek; docile; unaffected
one's nature; one's feelings; oneself
oxygen (O)
hydrogen (H)
enzyme
quick; swift; nimble; agile
carbon (C)
face with no make-up; unpainted face
carbon dioxide; CO2
simple; artless; naive; unsophisticated
element (esp. component in electronics); elemental device; device
element; chemical element
nitrogen (N)
chlorine (Cl)
pigment; coloring; colouring; colorant; colourant
makings (of); aptitude; talent; qualities
nutrient
simple; plain; modest
Ajinomoto; brand name of monosodium glutamate (MSG)