楚
chǔ
abbr. for Hubei 湖北省[Hu2 bei3 Sheng3] and Hunan 湖南省[Hu2 nan2 Sheng3] provinces together
surname Chu; Chinese kingdom during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722–221 BC); distinct; clear; orderly; pain; suffering; deciduous bush used in Chinese medicine (genus Vitex); punishment cane (old)
forest (林) + foot (疋) = painful thorns underfoot, clear as day
The image is of feet pushing through dense shrubs — the Vitex bushes that gave the Chu kingdom its name. From the sting of thorny undergrowth, the character extended to mean suffering, punishment, and by contrast, sharp clarity.
他把房间收拾得清清楚楚。
tā bǎ fáng jiān shōu shi de qīng qīng chǔ chǔ。
He tidied the room until it was neat and clear.
你能说清楚一点吗，我没听懂。
nǐ néng shuō qīng chǔ yī diǎn ma，wǒ méi tīng dǒng。
Can you say it a bit more clearly? I did not understand.
Words with 楚
楚国
chǔ guó
the state of Chu, one of the most important of the small states contending for power in China between 770 and 223 BC, located around present-day Hubei
巴楚
bā chǔ
Maralbeshi nahiyisi (Maralbexi county) in Kashgar prefecture 喀什地區|喀什地区[Ka1 shi2 di4 qu1], west Xinjiang
酸楚
suān chǔ
disconsolate
钟楚红
zhōng chǔ hóng
Cherie Chung (1960–), Hong Kong actress
隽楚
juàn chǔ
outstanding
头脑清楚
tóu nǎo qīng chu
lucid
马穆楚
mǎ mù chǔ
Mamoudzou, capital of Mayotte
一清二楚
yī qīng èr chǔ
to be very clear about sth (idiom)
不清楚
bù qīng chu
unclear
中俄尼布楚条约
zhōng é ní bù chǔ tiáo yuē
Treaty of Nerchinsk (1698) between Qing China and Russia
口齿清楚
kǒu chǐ qīng chu
clear diction
吴楚
wú chǔ
southern states of Wu and Chu