楚

See also: 椘

楚 U+695A, 楚 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-695A ← 楙 [U+6959] CJK Unified Ideographs 楛 → [U+695B]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

楚 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 木木弓卜人 (DDNYO), four-corner 4480₁, composition ⿱林疋)

Derived characters

• 儊, 𠿝, 𡢟, 憷, 濋, 檚, 𪹵, 璴, 礎, 𨭣, 齼(𬺓)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 539, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15141
• Dae Jaweon: page 927, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1244, character 9
• Unihan data for U+695A

Chinese

simp. and trad.		楚
alternative forms		椘 䠂 𣕑 𣗂

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 楚
Shang	Western Zhou
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions

Characters in the same phonetic series (疋) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
疋	*ŋraːʔ, *sŋra, *sŋraʔ
蝑	*sŋas, *sŋa
壻	*sŋeːs
婿	*sŋeːs
胥	*sŋa, *sŋaʔ
稰	*sŋa, *sŋaʔ
楈	*sŋa, *sŋaʔ
諝	*sŋa, *sŋaʔ
湑	*sŋa, *sŋaʔ
揟	*sŋa
醑	*sŋaʔ
糈	*sŋaʔ, *sŋraʔ
楚	*sŋ̊ʰraʔ, *sŋ̊ʰras
礎	*sŋ̊ʰraʔ
憷	*sŋ̊ʰraʔ
齼	*sŋ̊ʰraʔ
濋	*sŋ̊ʰraʔ
儊	*sŋ̊ʰras
綀	*sŋra
疎	*sŋra
疏	*sŋra, *sŋras
蔬	*sŋra
梳	*sŋra

Originally, a compound formed by 林 (forest), 囗 (an enclosure), and 止 (a footprint pointing up) – according to Shuowen Jiezi, "a group of trees". Perhaps the whole character points to a location on space with a group of trees or a small forest. As seen on some versions on bronzes, the two bottom component were fused and stylized as 足, thus getting the old variant 䠂.

Eventually, the whole character was further stylized as Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *sŋ̊ʰraʔ, *sŋ̊ʰras): semantic 林 (“forest; grove; woods”) + phonetic 疋 (OC *ŋraːʔ, *sŋra, *sŋraʔ). However, the phonetic component preserves part of the original drawing.

Etymology

Schuessler (2007) proposes an Austroasiatic origin; compare Proto-Austroasiatic *ɟrla(ː)ʔ (“thorn”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chǔ (chu³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cu³

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): co²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): co²

• Gan (Wiktionary): cu³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhú

  (Hailu, HRS): cu^ˊ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ci³

• Jin (Wiktionary): cu²
• Northern Min (KCR): chǔ
• Eastern Min (BUC): chū
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): coe² / ce²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhó͘ / chhó

  (Teochew, Peng'im): co²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵tshu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): cou³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǔ
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu³
    • Yale: chǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuu
    • Palladius: чу (ču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cu³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: co²
    • Yale: chó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tso²
    • Guangdong Romanization: co²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: co²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰᵘɔ⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: cu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhú
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu³¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˊ
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ci³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰz̩³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cu²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰu⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø¹³/
  • (Jiangkou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœ¹³/
  • (Xianyou, Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø²⁴/
  • (Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ce²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰe²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese, Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhó͘
    • Tâi-lô: tshóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhor
    • IPA (Penang): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴⁵/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /t͡sʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡sʰɔ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰɔ⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhó
    • Tâi-lô: tshó
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhoir
    • IPA (Penang): /t͡sʰo⁴⁴⁵/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰo⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰɤ⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: co²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshó
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰo⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵tshu
    • MiniDict: tshu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²tshu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰu³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: cou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəu̯⁴¹/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 楚
Mandarin	Beijing	/ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹³/
	Tianjin	/t͡sʰu¹³/
	Jinan	/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁴²/
	Qingdao	/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵³/
	Xi'an	/t͡sʰou⁵³/
	Xining	/ʈ͡ʂʰv̩⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/p͡fʰu⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/t͡sʰəu⁴²/
	Chengdu	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
	Guiyang	/t͡sʰu⁴²/
	Kunming	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
	Nanjing	/t͡sʰu²¹²/
	Hefei	/t͡sʰʊ²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
	Pingyao	/t͡sʰz̩ʷ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡sʰu³⁵/
	Suzhou	/t͡sʰəu⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/t͡sʰu⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡sʰɤu³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡sʰu³⁵/
	Tunxi	/t͡sʰəu³¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡sʰəu⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/t͡sʰəɯ²¹/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡sʰu²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/t͡sʰz̩³¹/
	Taoyuan	/t͡sʰu³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/t͡sʰɔ³⁵/
	Nanning	/t͡sʰɔ³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/t͡sʰɔ³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/t͡sʰɔ⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/t͡sʰu³²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/t͡sʰu²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/t͡sʰo⁵³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/su²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsrhjoX, tsrhjoH

Rime
Character	楚	楚
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	初 (19)	初 (19)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)	魚 (22)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	創舉切	瘡據切
Baxter	tsrhjoX	tsrhjoH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ʃʰɨʌX/	/t͡ʃʰɨʌH/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈ͡ʂʰiɔX/	/ʈ͡ʂʰiɔH/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ʃʰiɔX/	/t͡ʃʰiɔH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈ͡ʂʰɨə̆X/	/ʈ͡ʂʰɨə̆H/
Li Rong	/t͡ʃʰiɔX/	/t͡ʃʰiɔH/
Wang Li	/t͡ʃʰĭoX/	/t͡ʃʰĭoH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʈ͡ʂʰi̯woX/	/ʈ͡ʂʰi̯woH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chǔ	chù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	co2	co3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s.r̥]aʔ/, /*s.r̥aʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sŋ̊ʰraʔ/, /*sŋ̊ʰras/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	楚	楚	楚
Reading #	1/3	2/3	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chǔ	chǔ	chǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ tsrhjoX ›	‹ tsrhjoX ›	‹ tsrhjoX ›
Old Chinese	/*[s.r̥]aʔ/	/*s.r̥aʔ/	/*s.r̥aʔ/
English	arrange in order	thorns	name of a state
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	楚	楚
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	11781	11786
Phonetic component	疋	疋
Rime group	魚	魚
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	楚	楚
Old Chinese	/*sŋ̊ʰraʔ/	/*sŋ̊ʰras/

Definitions

楚

1. (obsolete) Vitex; Chinese chaste tree (Vitex negundo)

   • 翹翹錯薪，言刈其楚。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     翘翘错薪，言刈其楚。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Qiáoqiáo cuò xīn, yán yì qí chǔ. [Pinyin]

     Many are the bundles of firewood; I would cut down the chaste trees [to form more].

   Synonym: 牡荆 (mǔjīng)

2. (obsolete) thick growth of weeds or trees
3. (historical) punishment cane
4. (historical) to beat with a punishment cane
5. painful; suffering

   痛楚  ―  tòngchǔ  ―  in great pain

   苦楚  ―  kǔchǔ  ―  suffering; misery

6. neat; clear; orderly; arranged

   清楚  ―  qīngchǔ  ―  clear

   • 籩豆有楚，殽核維旅。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     笾豆有楚，肴核维旅。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Biāndòu yǒu chǔ, yáo hé wéi lǚ. [Pinyin]

     The dishes of bamboo and wood are arranged in rows,
     With the sauces and kernels displayed in them.

7. bright; gorgeous
8. (obsolete) vulgar; unrefined
9. (～國) (historical) Chu (an ancient Chinese viscounty and kingdom along the Yangtze River during the Zhou dynasty)

   • 一齊人傅之，眾楚人咻之，雖日撻而求其齊也，不可得矣。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     一齐人傅之，众楚人咻之，虽日挞而求其齐也，不可得矣。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yī Qí rén fù zhī, zhòng Chǔrén xiū zhī, suī rì tà ér qiú qí Qí yě, bùkě dé yǐ. [Pinyin]

     If but one man of Qi be teaching him, and there be a multitude of men of Chu continually shouting out about him, although his father beat him every day, wishing him to learn the speech of Qi, it will be impossible for him to do so.

   • 自懷王入秦不反，楚人憐之至今，故楚南公曰『楚雖三戶，亡秦必楚』也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     自怀王入秦不反，楚人怜之至今，故楚南公曰『楚虽三户，亡秦必楚』也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Zì Huái Wáng rù Qín bù fǎn, Chǔrén lián zhī zhì jīn, gù Chǔ Nán Gōng yuē ‘Chǔ suī sān hù, wáng Qín bì Chǔ’ yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

10. modern-day Hubei and Hunan (where the state of Chu was located)
11. (specifically) Hubei
12. a surname

Compounds

• 一清二楚 (yīqīng'èrchǔ)
• 三楚
• 不清不楚
• 北轅適楚 / 北辕适楚
• 南冠楚囚
• 南楚
• 吳頭楚尾 / 吴头楚尾
• 四面楚歌 (sìmiànchǔgē)
• 夏楚
• 巴楚 (Bāchǔ)
• 巴楚縣 / 巴楚县
• 平楚
• 悽楚 / 凄楚 (qīchǔ)
• 悲楚 (bēichǔ)
• 捶楚
• 晉乘楚杌 / 晋乘楚杌
• 暮楚朝秦 (mùchǔzhāoqín)
• 朝秦暮楚 (zhāoqínmùchǔ)
• 棰楚
• 楚些
• 楚劇 / 楚剧
• 楚囚
• 楚囚對泣 / 楚囚对泣
• 楚囚相對 / 楚囚相对
• 楚天
• 楚尾吳頭 / 楚尾吴头
• 楚弓楚得
• 楚懷王 / 楚怀王
• 楚撻 / 楚挞
• 楚昭萍實 / 楚昭萍实
• 楚服
• 楚材晉用 / 楚材晋用
• 楚楚 (chǔchǔ)
• 楚楚不凡
• 楚楚可憐 / 楚楚可怜 (chǔchǔkělián)
• 楚歌
• 楚毒
• 楚河漢界 / 楚河汉界 (chǔhéhànjiè)
• 楚漢 / 楚汉
• 楚漆器
• 楚漢春秋 / 楚汉春秋
• 楚漢相爭 / 楚汉相争
• 楚狂
• 楚瑪爾河 / 楚玛尔河 (Chǔmǎ'ěr Hé)
• 楚絕 / 楚绝 (chǔjué)
• 楚繒書 / 楚缯书
• 楚聲 / 楚声
• 楚腰
• 楚茨
• 楚莊問鼎 / 楚庄问鼎
• 楚莊絕纓 / 楚庄绝缨
• 楚辭 / 楚辞 (Chǔcí)
• 楚辱
• 楚霸王
• 楚館 / 楚馆
• 楚館秦樓 / 楚馆秦楼
• 榜楚
• 清楚
• 淒楚 / 凄楚 (qīchǔ)
• 清清楚楚 (qīngqīngchǔchǔ)
• 激楚
• 濟楚 / 济楚
• 痛楚 (tòngchǔ)
• 痛楚徹骨 / 痛楚彻骨
• 秦樓楚館 / 秦楼楚馆
• 笞楚
• 箠楚 / 棰楚
• 篣楚
• 翹楚 / 翘楚 (qiáochǔ)
• 耶律楚材
• 肝膽楚越 / 肝胆楚越
• 苦楚 (kǔchǔ)
• 荊楚 / 荆楚 (Jīngchǔ)
• 萇楚 / 苌楚 (chángchǔ)
• 衣冠楚楚 (yīguānchǔchǔ)
• 衣冠濟楚 / 衣冠济楚
• 衣冠齊楚 / 衣冠齐楚
• 衣裳楚楚
• 西楚 (Xīchǔ)
• 西楚霸王 (Xīchǔ Bàwáng)
• 詛楚文 / 诅楚文
• 越鳧楚乙 / 越凫楚乙 (yuèfúchǔyǐ)
• 酸楚 (suānchǔ)
• 鍾儀楚奏 / 钟仪楚奏
• 隰有萇楚 / 隰有苌楚
• 雋楚 / 隽楚
• 齊傅楚咻 / 齐傅楚咻
• 齊楚 / 齐楚

References

• “楚”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “楚”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 139.

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 楚

楚

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. whip
2. cane

Readings

• Go-on: しょ (sho)
• Kan-on: そ (so)
• Kun: いばら (ibara, 楚)、しもと (shimoto, 楚)、すわえ (suwae, 楚)^{←すはえ (sufae, すはえ, historical)←すは𛀁 (sufaye, すは𛀁, ancient)}、むち (muchi, 楚)

References

• “^▲楚”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

楚 • (cho) (hangeul 초, revised cho, McCune–Reischauer ch'o, Yale cho)

1. name of feudal state
2. clear

Vietnamese

Han character

楚: Hán Nôm readings: sở, sỡ

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.