藪 (sǒu) - Marsh, swamp & thicket, dense growth

藪Tone 3

sǒu ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

藪 · sǒu

Marsh, swamp;

thicket, dense growth;

gathering place, den;

source or repository of something.

Marsh, swampthicket, dense growthgathering place, den

Usage highlights

Marsh, swampThicket, dense growthDen, lairRepository, gathering placeSource of evilBandits' den

Synonyms

  • 澤— marsh, wetland
  • 沼— swamp, bog
  • 淵— deep pool; abyss (when used metaphorically with 藪)

Antonyms

  • 原— plain, open field
  • 漠— desert, barren land

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The fox hid in the thicket (藪中).
  • This area is a marshland (藪澤).
  • He is a repository of knowledge (學藪).
  • The bandits' den was in the mountains (盜藪).

Collocations

  • Marsh, swamp(藪澤)
  • Thicket, dense growth(藪中)
  • Den, lair(巢藪)
  • Repository, gathering place(淵藪)
  • Source of evil(罪藪)
  • Bandits' den(盜藪)

Idioms

  • A gathering place for all things(萬物淵藪)
  • The den of iniquity(罪惡淵藪)
  • A place where talented people gather(人才淵藪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical texts, 藪 often refers to wilderness areas where animals gather or where recluses might live.
  • It is used metaphorically to describe a place where things (especially people, knowledge, or negative elements) accumulate.
  • The character appears in historical and literary contexts more than in modern everyday language.

FAQ