勺

ladle, one tenth of a go, dip

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōStrokes3

Readings

On'yomi

シャク

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

勺 centers on a small scooping tool: a ladle for dipping liquids, and by extension a small unit of volume (one tenth of a go).

Most common words using 勺

勺しゃく
shaku; traditional unit of volume, approx. 18 ml
一勺いっしゃく
one shaku
勺水しゃくすい
shaku of water; 18 ml of water
宝玉と勺杖ほうぎょくとしゃくじょう
Orb and Sceptre (march by Sir William Walton)

Explore all words using 勺 →

Study

Etymology

勺 is a pictograph of a ladle or scoop, with the outer 勹 representing the bowl and the inner 丶 the handle or contents.

Meaning mnemonic

The outer 勹 is the curved bowl of a ladle, and the dot 丶 inside is a drop of liquid being dipped. Together they form 勺, a ladle.

Reading mnemonic

For シャク, imagine a shack where a ladle hangs on the wall: shack -> シャク, and the ladle is used to dip water.