<blockquote>
<p>苏：艸 + 办</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Well, firstly, we shouldn't really use Simplified Chinese when trying to understand and describe Chinese characters and the Chinese language, as much of the time, Simplified Chinese has very little relevance to anything. 「办」 here is just some kind of writing abbreviation for 「穌」.</p>
<hr />
<p>「蘇」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*s-ŋˤa/</strong>) did not originally mean <em>revive</em>; it is a name of a plant, and comprised of semantic 「艹」 (<em>grass; plants</em>) and phonetic 「穌」. The character was originally written with <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=139" rel="noreferrer">「木」</a>, not <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281" rel="noreferrer">「禾」</a>, and <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2447" rel="noreferrer">「魚」</a> (<strong>/*[r.ŋ]a/</strong>) is a phonetic component.</p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="noreferrer">春秋</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QJbnI.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QJbnI.png" alt="" /></a><br>寬兒鼎<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.net/yzjwjc/?bh=2722&amp;jgwfl=" rel="noreferrer">集成2722</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%9A%B8%E5%AE%9A" rel="noreferrer">隸定</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/45PVc.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/45PVc.png" alt="⿱艹穌" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_(state)" rel="noreferrer">秦</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(East_Asia)" rel="noreferrer">璽印</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tQPjg.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tQPjg.png" alt="蘇" /></a><br>十鐘山房印<br>　</kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han" rel="noreferrer">西漢</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script" rel="noreferrer">隸</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sk9Wm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sk9Wm.png" alt="蘇" /></a><br>18<br>縱橫家書</kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fPv1Q.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fPv1Q.png" alt="蘇" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<hr />
<p>「蘇」 used for the word meaning <em>revive</em> is strictly a phonetic loan. If you're looking for the character made specifically for the meaning <em>revive</em>, you can use the late popular invention, 「甦」, made from semantic 「更」 (<em>again</em>) and semantic 「生」 (<em>life</em>), instead.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-24T08:11:26.530Z
I've often wondered: 1. did Chinese characters start out simple, became more complicated, then were finally simplified, or 2. did they start out complicated, and then were simplified. My guess is 1. 蘇 has 20 strokes, 苏 has 7. Writing a letter in Traditional Chinese will take you approximately 3 times longer! We live in the age of time = money!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-24T08:15:14.583Z
@Pedroski Chinese characters started out as simple, then increased in number and variation. Hardly any characters became more simple; most just *differentiated*, as any time you add a component to an existing character you effectively end up turning one character into two.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-24T08:18:00.053Z
@Pedroski Also, yes, time is money, and you write once for many people to read many times. Time is constantly wasted by students trying to figure out what a Simplified Chinese abbreviation means, when it doesn't actually mean anything. I hope you understand why nobody writes books and essays in 狂草 - you may be able to write an entire sentence in two strokes and two seconds, and your readers will waste hours or a potential lifetime trying to learn how to read what you wrote.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-24T20:18:35.170Z
Isn't the 蘇 in 寛兒鼎 more complicated than the one in 隸書？ I've always thought both simplification and complication happened in the pre-han era.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-25T00:14:49.973Z
@joehua depends on what you mean by "complicated". If you're talking about the 「魚」 component in 「寛兒鼎」's 「蘇」 looking more elaborate, that's not a linguistic feature - Many Shang and Zhou inscriptions which survive simply sometimes just use more elaborate writing for whatever purpose that required more decorative styles.  [This 「虎」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/char?fontcode=42.E596) and [this 「虎」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/char?fontcode=42.E5BD) are both from Shang oracle bones, but we wouldn't say 「虎」 "simplified" in the Shang dynasty.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-25T00:18:57.987Z
@joehua The purpose of an exercise such as 部件對應隸定 ("component-matching clericalification") is to do away with the distraction of elaborate strokes, which aren't a linguistic feature, but to illustrate character structure and linguistic components (meaning and sound components). Once you bring all characters you're comparing into the same space (regular script), you can begin to make an objective comparison as to the "complexity" of a character.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-25T00:31:25.233Z
...and this is also why I will further emphasise that Simplified Chinese is a complete distraction to learning Chinese writing - much of its focus is on completely non-linguistic features like "imitating cursive calligraphy strokes to cut stroke counts" - there is nothing "easy" about learning what is essentially cursive calligraphy, you don't gain any insight into any meanings or sounds of words, and you certainly don't speak any faster or more efficiently when you cut strokes. Simplified Chinese is pretty much an irrelevant writing reform.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-25T03:23:33.493Z
`The character was originally written with 「木」, not 「禾」, and 「魚」 (/*[r.ŋ]a/) is a phonetic component.` Does this mean that 蘇 was originally ⿰魚木, where 木 was later analogized into 禾, and complexified into 蘇 through the addition of 艸? It's unclear to me whether or not 穌 and 蘇 originally represented the same word, but 說文 defines 穌 as something like `to fetch grain`. However, I question whether or not this is the original meaning since 穌 in bronze script contained 木 rather than 禾.
wang_xiao_ming
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-24T07:35:22.930Z
2021-07-24T07:35:22.930Z
dROOOze
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/1876" rel="nofollow noreferrer">蘇/苏</a> is a variant of <a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/3319" rel="nofollow noreferrer">穌/稣</a> which means revive; rise again</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%A8%A3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">穌</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>说明：在大河里，寒流来袭时，河面容易被冻住，但鱼儿可以转入水体深处，那里温度较高，可以让鱼游动生存。但在一些小河小池塘里，水量相对较少，水体可能被整个冻住。这时的鱼儿，像庄稼那样老老实实呆在原地，可以被像收获庄稼那样按部就班的取到手。由于是寒流急冻，在被很快起出后，鱼儿一般都能迅速恢复活力，这种情况古人就称为“稣”，或称“复苏”。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Basically, <strong>穌</strong> describes &quot;picking fish(魚) easily like picking hay(禾)&quot; because they were trapped in extremely cold water and have no energy to move. The easily picked fish would revive once they left the cold water</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>《韵会》死而更生曰稣。通作蘇。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T10:38:05.053Z
Thank you! That was puzzling me! All due to the chemical properties of that strange chemical: water: at 4 degrees Celsius water is densest, heaviest, therefore, the temperature at the bottom of a river which is frozen on top is 4 degrees Celsius! The fish can survive!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T14:35:00.350Z
This is also why they translated Jesus as 耶(Je)稣(su) I guess. The revive he made.
Archeosudoerus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T16:36:54.327Z
My guess is people noticed when you can pick 魚 like 禾 in freezing water, they come back alive, so they coined the term 穌 for "revive; rise again". And 穌 was used as the sound component for the plant 蘇. And then they made 蘇 a variant of 穌, thus gave  蘇 the meaning of revive too.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T01:43:31.480Z
2021-07-22T01:54:26.873Z
2021-07-22T01:54:26.873Z
Tang Ho
<p>苏 originally referred to the plant with purple flowers, I believe. Maybe it likes to grow by a river.</p>
<p>江苏</p>
<p>苏生：come back to life<br />
苏醒：awake from being unconscious</p>
<p>苏：昏迷中醒过来</p>
<p>苏 can refer to Perilla frutescens (Chinese basil or wild red basil)</p>
<p>Maybe the plant is smelly, wakes you up??<br />
Maybe the Ancients made some 药 from 苏 the plant??</p>
<p>苏：艸 + 办</p>
<p>How come 苏 has a meaning &quot;revive&quot;?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T02:09:49.303Z
Interesting! 蘇 consists of the Chinese characters "grass", "fish" and "cereal plant". As the fish and cereal plant under the grass over a prolonged time, the smell emitted by the spoil due to decomposition must be very strong and stinky (恶臭刺鼻), thus even the dead will revive by it :)
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-22T09:57:13.393Z
Perilla is indeed quite an [aromatic herb](https://www.seriouseats.com/seriously-asian-perilla-leaves). The Korean [깻잎 _kkaenip_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ycTDIUhsfM) has a strong mint/licorice/basil flavour. The cultivar _shiso_ (紫蘇 = シソ, aka 回回蘇 in Chinese) is considered more delicate and mintier; Vietnamese _tía tô_ is stronger still. In Chinese cuisine, [紫蘇葉燜魚](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeh1qTuJCaM)、[紫蘇茄子](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgIExiQzMoE)、[紫蘇鴨](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-se4LH2oB0w) are all well-known dishes.
Michaelyus
<meaning>
Why does 苏 have the meaning revive?
# Why does 苏 have the meaning revive?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-22)

苏 originally referred to the plant with purple flowers, I believe. Maybe it likes to grow by a river.

江苏

苏生：come back to life  
苏醒：awake from being unconscious

苏：昏迷中醒过来

苏 can refer to Perilla frutescens (Chinese basil or wild red basil)

Maybe the plant is smelly, wakes you up??  
Maybe the Ancients made some 药 from 苏 the plant??

苏：艸 + 办

How come 苏 has a meaning "revive"?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Interesting! 蘇 consists of the Chinese characters "grass", "fish" and "cereal plant". As the fish and cereal plant under the grass over a prolonged time, the smell emitted by the spoil due to decomposition must be very strong and stinky (恶臭刺鼻), thus even the dead will revive by it :)  
> **username_2**: Perilla is indeed quite an [aromatic herb](https://www.seriouseats.com/seriously-asian-perilla-leaves). The Korean [깻잎 _kkaenip_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ycTDIUhsfM) has a strong mint/licorice/basil flavour. The cultivar _shiso_ (紫蘇 = シソ, aka 回回蘇 in Chinese) is considered more delicate and mintier; Vietnamese _tía tô_ is stronger still. In Chinese cuisine, [紫蘇葉燜魚](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeh1qTuJCaM)、[紫蘇茄子](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgIExiQzMoE)、[紫蘇鴨](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-se4LH2oB0w) are all well-known dishes.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2021-07-22. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

[蘇/苏](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/1876) is a variant of [穌/稣](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/3319) which means revive; rise again

> [穌](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%A8%A3)

> 说明：在大河里，寒流来袭时，河面容易被冻住，但鱼儿可以转入水体深处，那里温度较高，可以让鱼游动生存。但在一些小河小池塘里，水量相对较少，水体可能被整个冻住。这时的鱼儿，像庄稼那样老老实实呆在原地，可以被像收获庄稼那样按部就班的取到手。由于是寒流急冻，在被很快起出后，鱼儿一般都能迅速恢复活力，这种情况古人就称为“稣”，或称“复苏”。

> Basically, **穌** describes "picking fish(魚) easily like picking hay(禾)" because they were trapped in extremely cold water and have no energy to move. The easily picked fish would revive once they left the cold water

> 《韵会》死而更生曰稣。通作蘇。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you! That was puzzling me! All due to the chemical properties of that strange chemical: water: at 4 degrees Celsius water is densest, heaviest, therefore, the temperature at the bottom of a river which is frozen on top is 4 degrees Celsius! The fish can survive!  
> **username_7**: This is also why they translated Jesus as 耶(Je)稣(su) I guess. The revive he made.  
> **username_6**: My guess is people noticed when you can pick 魚 like 禾 in freezing water, they come back alive, so they coined the term 穌 for "revive; rise again". And 穌 was used as the sound component for the plant 蘇. And then they made 蘇 a variant of 穌, thus gave  蘇 the meaning of revive too.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-07-24. Score: 7

> 苏：艸 + 办

Well, firstly, we shouldn't really use Simplified Chinese when trying to understand and describe Chinese characters and the Chinese language, as much of the time, Simplified Chinese has very little relevance to anything. 「办」 here is just some kind of writing abbreviation for 「穌」.

---

「蘇」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*s-ŋˤa/**) did not originally mean *revive*; it is a name of a plant, and comprised of semantic 「艹」 (*grass; plants*) and phonetic 「穌」. The character was originally written with [「木」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=139), not [「禾」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=281), and [「魚」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=2447) (**/\*[r.ŋ]a/**) is a phonetic component.

`春秋  
金  
![](https://i.sstatic.net/QJbnI.png)  
寬兒鼎  
集成2722` `隸定  
![⿱艹穌](https://i.sstatic.net/45PVc.png)`

`戰國・秦  
璽印  
![蘇](https://i.sstatic.net/tQPjg.png)  
十鐘山房印``西漢  
隸  
![蘇](https://i.sstatic.net/sk9Wm.png)  
18  
縱橫家書` `楷  
![蘇](https://i.sstatic.net/fPv1Q.png)`

---

「蘇」 used for the word meaning *revive* is strictly a phonetic loan. If you're looking for the character made specifically for the meaning *revive*, you can use the late popular invention, 「甦」, made from semantic 「更」 (*again*) and semantic 「生」 (*life*), instead.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I've often wondered: 1. did Chinese characters start out simple, became more complicated, then were finally simplified, or 2. did they start out complicated, and then were simplified. My guess is 1. 蘇 has 20 strokes, 苏 has 7. Writing a letter in Traditional Chinese will take you approximately 3 times longer! We live in the age of time = money!  
> **username_3**: @username_0 Chinese characters started out as simple, then increased in number and variation. Hardly any characters became more simple; most just *differentiated*, as any time you add a component to an existing character you effectively end up turning one character into two.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 Also, yes, time is money, and you write once for many people to read many times. Time is constantly wasted by students trying to figure out what a Simplified Chinese abbreviation means, when it doesn't actually mean anything. I hope you understand why nobody writes books and essays in 狂草 - you may be able to write an entire sentence in two strokes and two seconds, and your readers will waste hours or a potential lifetime trying to learn how to read what you wrote.  
> **username_4**: Isn't the 蘇 in 寛兒鼎 more complicated than the one in 隸書？ I've always thought both simplification and complication happened in the pre-han era.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 depends on what you mean by "complicated". If you're talking about the 「魚」 component in 「寛兒鼎」's 「蘇」 looking more elaborate, that's not a linguistic feature - Many Shang and Zhou inscriptions which survive simply sometimes just use more elaborate writing for whatever purpose that required more decorative styles.  [This 「虎」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/char?fontcode=42.E596) and [this 「虎」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/char?fontcode=42.E5BD) are both from Shang oracle bones, but we wouldn't say 「虎」 "simplified" in the Shang dynasty.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 The purpose of an exercise such as 部件對應隸定 ("component-matching clericalification") is to do away with the distraction of elaborate strokes, which aren't a linguistic feature, but to illustrate character structure and linguistic components (meaning and sound components). Once you bring all characters you're comparing into the same space (regular script), you can begin to make an objective comparison as to the "complexity" of a character.  
> **username_3**: ...and this is also why I will further emphasise that Simplified Chinese is a complete distraction to learning Chinese writing - much of its focus is on completely non-linguistic features like "imitating cursive calligraphy strokes to cut stroke counts" - there is nothing "easy" about learning what is essentially cursive calligraphy, you don't gain any insight into any meanings or sounds of words, and you certainly don't speak any faster or more efficiently when you cut strokes. Simplified Chinese is pretty much an irrelevant writing reform.  
> **username_5**: `The character was originally written with 「木」, not 「禾」, and 「魚」 (/*[r.ŋ]a/) is a phonetic component.` Does this mean that 蘇 was originally ⿰魚木, where 木 was later analogized into 禾, and complexified into 蘇 through the addition of 艸? It's unclear to me whether or not 穌 and 蘇 originally represented the same word, but 說文 defines 穌 as something like `to fetch grain`. However, I question whether or not this is the original meaning since 穌 in bronze script contained 木 rather than 禾.  

---

