芍
peony
Strokes6
Readings
On'yomi
- シャク
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
芍 refers specifically to the peony plant, a flowering herb. The meaning is narrow and botanical, without broader abstract extensions.
Most common words using 芍
- 芍薬しゃくやく
Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
- 当帰芍薬散とうきしゃくやくさん
tōkishakuyakusan; traditional Chinese medicine prescribed for anemia and blood circulation disorders
- 立てば芍薬座れば牡丹歩く姿は百合の花たてばしゃくやくすわればぼたんあるくすがたはゆりのはな
beautiful appearance of a woman
Study
Etymology
芍 combines the grass radical 艹 with 勺, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The character is used specifically for the peony plant.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass radical 艹 sits above 勺, like a ladle-shaped plant. Picture a peony blossom cupped like a ladle among the grass.
Reading mnemonic
For シャク, imagine a peony in a shack: shack -> シャク, and the flower grows right outside the small wooden building.