株 zhū root
root; stump; measure word for trees; a plant; measure word for trees or plants; strain
How to remember 株: 木 tree + 朱 cinnabar = root. Dad paints what is left of the old tree bright cinnabar red, so nobody in the garden trips over the root.
Component breakdown
株 = 木 tree + 朱 cinnabar
- 木 tree
- 朱 cinnabar
Dad paints what is left of the old tree bright cinnabar red, so nobody in the garden trips over the root.
How it is used
- A measure word for plants/trees - 一株树 (yì zhū shù) a tree, 一株草 a plant.
- As a noun means a plant's root/stump; also 'strain' in biology: 病毒株 (bìngdú zhū) a viral strain.
- 守株待兔 (shǒuzhū-dàitù) 'guard the stump waiting for rabbits' = to rely foolishly on a one-off stroke of luck.
- Compare 棵 (kē), the more common everyday classifier for trees/plants; 株 is more literary/technical.