叔

shū
#1,420 most
frequent character
uncle, father's younger brother

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

叔 shows a hand 又 and 尗, a dirt-covered stake, so it first meant digging with a sharp stick. The uncle sense was borrowed for its sound. Later it also became an address for middle-aged men.

Drawn as: hand; dirty wooden stake

叔 as a component in other characters

sound5 characters
picture1 character

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