素

• Pinyin: sù
• Hanzi breakdown: 素 = 糸 (silk/thread radical) + 垂 (to hang down) — originally raw undyed silk; extended to plain, unadorned, vegetarian

Meaning

Plain and unadorned; simple in its natural state; vegetarian (of food, containing no meat); also used as an adverb meaning 'always,' 'ordinarily,' or 'from the outset.'

A versatile character functioning across multiple registers. In aesthetics, 素 describes understated elegance (素雅). In dietary contexts, it means vegetarian (素食, 吃素). As an adverb in formal or literary language, it means 'habitually' or 'from the beginning' (素来, 素不相识, 素以…著称). Common in literary Chinese and formal modern usage across diverse contexts.

Examples

1. 这位画家的作品以素雅著称，用极简的线条和留白表达了深邃的意境，令观者在宁静中感受到震撼人心的艺术力量。 This painter’s work is known for its understated elegance, using minimalist lines and open space to convey a profound artistic mood that leaves viewers quietly stunned by its power.
2. 出于对健康与环保的双重关切，她已坚持素食近十年，日常饮食以新鲜蔬菜、豆腐和全谷物为主。 Out of concern for both health and the environment, she has maintained a vegetarian diet for nearly ten years, with fresh vegetables, tofu, and whole grains as everyday staples.
3. 他素来不善言辞，即便内心情感深沉，也往往只以沉默和实际行动来表达对家人深厚的关怀与支持。 He has never been good with words; even when his feelings run deep, he usually shows his strong care and support for his family through silence and practical actions.

Usage Guide

Context: aesthetics, food, literature, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她的穿着一向素净，不追求华丽的装饰，以简洁的色彩和干净的线条展现出一种从容而充满自信的个人气质。(Her dressing was always simple and understated — eschewing ornate decoration, she expressed a composed and confident personal style through clean colours and uncluttered lines.)
• 这座庭院的布局极为素雅，以白墙、灰瓦和几株修剪整齐的翠竹构成了一个静谧清幽、令人心旷神怡的私家空间。(The courtyard's layout was wonderfully understated — white walls, grey tiles, and a few neatly trimmed bamboo plants forming a quiet, refreshing private space that settled the mind.)

Don't Say

• 素 作'一向'解时属书面文言用法 — 不说'我素不知道这件事'在随意口语中；日常表达'一直不知道'用 一直 或 从来

Origin & History

素 = 糸 (silk thread radical) + 垂 (to hang down) — originally referred to undyed white silk; extended to mean plain, simple, unadorned

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal