粥 zhōu porridge
porridge; gruel; congee
怎么记住“粥”: 弓 bow + 米 rice + 弓 bow = porridge. The archery coach leans one bow against the pot of rice, another bow on the other side, and ladles out warm porridge.
部件结构
会意 · Meaning + meaning
Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.
粥 = 弓 bow + 米 rice + 弓 bow
- 弓 bow
- 米 rice
- 弓 bow
The archery coach leans one bow against the pot of rice, another bow on the other side, and ladles out warm porridge.
How it came to be
It is a shortened form of an older character for congee, with part of it left out.
用法
- Congee/rice porridge: 喝粥 (hē zhōu) to eat/drink congee, 白粥 plain rice porridge, 小米粥 millet porridge.
- A staple comfort/breakfast food, often for the ill or elderly (easy to digest).
- 僧多粥少 (sēngduō-zhōushǎo) 'many monks, little porridge' = too many people, too few resources.
- Note it's 'drunk' with 喝, not eaten with 吃, because of its liquid consistency.