稠 chóu crowded
crowded; dense; viscous; thick
How to remember 稠: 禾 grain + 周 week = crowded. The farmer sowed grain every day for a week, and now the stalks stand so close that the field looks crowded.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
稠 = 禾 grain + 周 week
- 禾 grain meaning
- 周 week sound
- ⺆ box
- 𠮷 foul mouth
The farmer sowed grain every day for a week, and now the stalks stand so close that the field looks crowded.
How it came to be
Grain gives the meaning and the right part the sound.
How it is used
- Thick/dense (of liquids or crowds), the opposite of 稀: 稠密 (chóumì) dense (人口稠密 densely populated), 黏稠 (niánchóu) viscous/thick (粥很稠 the porridge is thick), 粥很稀 (zhōu hěn xī) the porridge is thin.
- 地窄人稠 (dìzhǎi-rénchóu) means a cramped, crowded place.