豆

contributes the sense of beans and peas · Kangxi radical 151

contributes the sense of beans and peas, and in older characters the sense of a footed serving vessel

The original graph pictured a tall stemmed dish used for serving food at meals and offerings: the 一 on top is the lid, the 口 in the middle is the shallow bowl, and the strokes below are the stem and the foot it stands on. That whole picture survives almost unchanged in the modern character, which is why 豆 still looks like a little cup on a pedestal. The word for "bean" sounded the same, so the graph was borrowed for it and that became its everyday meaning, as in 豌豆 and 豇豆. The older vessel sense stays visible in characters like 豊, a dish heaped with offerings, and 登, where two feet step up onto the stand.

豆 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of beans and peas

Strokes

7

Characters

15

Role

Contributes meaning and sound

Kangxi radical

151

Characters with 豆 (10 of 15)

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