竹子
zhú zi · bamboo
这种竹子长得很快。
This kind of bamboo grows very quickly.
Chinese character · HSK 5
竹 (zhú) — “bamboo”
The character is a direct pictogram depicting two stalks of bamboo with drooping leaves.
Memory cue
Two graceful bamboo stalks standing side by side, their leaves drooping perfectly.
Video mnemonic
Watch 竹 in motion
See the visual story unfold, then connect it to the words and sentences below.
Common ways to use 竹
竹 is read zhú throughout this set. It directly names bamboo in plants, places, and objects, while also appearing in a conventional noun and a fixed idiom.
竹林
zhú lín · bamboo forest or grove
村子后面有一片竹林。
There is a bamboo grove behind the village.
竹篮
zhú lán · bamboo basket
她提着竹篮去买菜。
She carried a bamboo basket to buy groceries.
爆竹
bào zhú · firecracker
春节时，孩子们喜欢放爆竹。
During the Spring Festival, children enjoy setting off firecrackers.
Usage note: Learn 爆竹 as the complete noun “firecracker,” not simply as bamboo that explodes.
胸有成竹
xiōng yǒu chéng zhú · to have a clear plan and feel confident
他准备得很充分，早已胸有成竹。
He prepared thoroughly and already knew exactly what to do.
Usage note: Picture a finished bamboo image already in your mind. Use this expression when someone is well prepared and confident.
Inside the character
- 竹 (bamboo) — meaning component. Two stalks of bamboo — often marks bamboo, slats, or anything written on bamboo.
Where 竹 comes from
An ancient oracle bone pictogram that has remained remarkably consistent over millennia, originally drawing two bamboo stems with downward-pointing leaves to distinguish them from grass.
Learn 竹 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6
character with an illustration like this one, Common-use words and sentences,
component breakdowns, etymology, and recall-first review. The first 100
characters are free.
More characters: 策 (cè, strategy / plan) · 算 (suàn, to calculate / to compute) · 系 (xì / jì, system / to connect) — or browse the full character library.