庶 (shù) - numerous, many & common people, populace

庶Tone 4

shù ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

庶 · shù

numerous, many;

common people, populace;

concubine's son (in feudal times);

almost, nearly

numerous, manycommon people, populaceconcubine's son (in feudal times)

Usage highlights

common peoplenumerous affairsconcubinealmost possiblerich and populouspopulace livelihood

Synonyms

  • 众— many, numerous
  • 民— people, commoners

Antonyms

  • 嫡— legitimate wife or child (opposite of concubine-born)
  • 寡— few, scarce

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The common people (庶民) have their own wisdom.
  • He is a concubine-born son (庶子) in the family.
  • There are numerous (庶务) matters to attend to.
  • It is almost (庶几) impossible to finish on time.

Collocations

  • common people(庶民)
  • numerous affairs(庶务)
  • concubine-born son(庶子)
  • almost possible(庶几)
  • rich and populous(富庶)
  • populace livelihood(庶绩)

Idioms

  • The people are the foundation of the state(民为邦本，本国邦宁)
  • Replenish the people and enrich the state(庶富邦宁)
  • The legitimate son versus the concubine's son(嫡庶之分)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In feudal China, '庶' distinguished concubine-born children from legitimate heirs (嫡), affecting inheritance and status.
  • The term '庶民' historically referred to commoners outside the aristocratic class.
  • Used in classical texts to mean 'almost' or 'nearly', as in '庶几'.

FAQ