Chinese word

束

Pronunciation

Pinyinshù

Meaning

  • measure wordbunch

Example

我买了一束花。wǒ mǎi le yí shù huā

I bought a bunch of flowers.

Illustration for 束 (bunch)

More examples

窗外射进来一束光，照在地上。chuāng wài shè jìn lái yí shù guāng zhào zài dì shàng

A beam of light streamed in through the window and shone on the floor.

Core concept

Several separate items gathered and held together as one tied group.

Common phrases

  • 一束光yí shù guāng

    a beam of light

  • 一束花yí shù huā

    a bunch of flowers

Similar words

朵duǒ: Counts a single small flower, cloud, or similar individual thing.
把bǎ: Counts hand-held objects and objects with a handle.
盆pén: Counts plants or food served in a pot or other container.

Definition in Chinese

把若干物品用绳等捆在一起，作名词指这一捆，作量词表示一捆（常用于花、薪等），亦可作动词表示捆绑或限制。bǎ ruò gān wù pǐn yòng shéng děng kǔn zài yì qǐ zuò míng cí zhǐ zhè yì kǔn zuò liàng cí biǎo shì yì kǔn cháng yòng yú huā xīn děng yì kě zuò dòng cí biǎo shì kún bǎng huò xiàn zhì

Word origin

The ancient form of 束 (shù, "bundle") shows a cord wrapped around a bundle of wood, linking the written shape to tying and to a gathered group.

Usage tips

  • For flowers, this measure word fits shopping, gifts, and arrangements, while a single stem takes a different counting expression.

Related words

Word lists with this word