墣 (pú) - A clod of earth & lump of soil

墣Tone 2

pú ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

墣 · pú

A clod of earth;

lump of soil;

unrefined, raw material.

A clod of earthlump of soilunrefined, raw material.

Usage highlights

clod of earthlump of clayunrefined jadesoil clodraw materialhardened clod

Synonyms

  • 块— lump, chunk, piece
  • 土块— clod of earth
  • 朴— simple, unadorned (conceptually related)

Antonyms

  • 精— refined, polished, exquisite
  • 细— fine, delicate

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The farmer broke up the clods of earth (土墣) in the field.
  • He held a lump of clay (泥墣) in his hand.
  • The philosopher spoke of the unrefined nature of humanity (素墣之质).
  • The ground was covered with hardened soil clods (硬墣).

Collocations

  • clod of earth(土墣)
  • lump of clay(泥墣)
  • unrefined jade(玉墣)
  • soil clod(泥墣)
  • raw material(素墣)
  • hardened clod(硬墣)

Idioms

  • Returning to simplicity(返朴归真)
  • Uncarved jade(璞玉浑金)
  • Simple and unadorned(朴素无华)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Daoist philosophy, the 'uncarved block' (朴) represents the original, natural state before artificial refinement.
  • The character appears in classical texts discussing the fundamental nature of things before they are shaped or processed.
  • Used metaphorically to describe innate talent or potential that has not yet been developed.

FAQ