HSK Guide

臼 Radical 134 — a mortar; a stone or wooden bowl for pounding grain

jiù (fourth tone, falling)

a mortar; a stone or wooden bowl for pounding grain

Radical 1346 strokes0 characters

Where the shape comes from

A mortar bowl seen from above, hollowed out with grain scattered inside it, ready for the pestle. A hand reaching claw-like into it to scoop something out gives 舀, to ladle, to scoop; a pestle raised above it gives 舂, to pound grain, the mortar shown doing the one job it was carved for.

characters filed under 臼

No published character on HSK Guide is filed under this radical yet. Character explorer.