疏 (shū) - to dredge, to clear obstructions & sparse, thin

疏Tone 1

shū ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

姝树

疏 · shū

to dredge, to clear obstructions;

sparse, thin;

distant, unfamiliar;

to neglect;

to present a memorial to the emperor.

to dredge, to clear obstructionssparse, thindistant, unfamiliar

Usage highlights

dredge a riversparse hairdistant relativeneglect one's dutyclear obstructionlife advice

Synonyms

  • 稀— sparse, thin
  • 通— to clear, to unblock
  • 远— distant, far

Antonyms

  • 密— dense, thick
  • 亲— close, intimate
  • 堵— to block, to obstruct

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The workers dredged the river (疏浚河道).
  • The population is sparse in this area (人口稀疏).
  • He is unfamiliar with the new procedure (对程序生疏).
  • She neglected her duties (疏于职守).

Collocations

  • dredge a river(疏浚)
  • sparse hair(疏发)
  • distant relative(疏亲)
  • neglect one's duty(疏职)
  • clear obstruction(疏通)
  • life advice(疏解)

Idioms

  • Neglect what is familiar and befriend what is strange(疏亲慢友)
  • Careless in big matters and meticulous in small ones(疏于大计，细于小事)
  • To clear the source and dredge the flow(疏源浚流)
  • Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst(远水不解近渴)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In imperial China, '疏' referred to formal memorials presented to the emperor by officials.
  • The character embodies the Confucian ideal of maintaining proper relationships, with '疏' indicating appropriate distance.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, '疏' describes the therapeutic action of clearing blockages in the body's energy pathways.

FAQ