Pod Character

Enter a reading in the input method, then select 莢. For Mandarin Chinese, type jia2 for jiá; the Cangjie input method uses TKOO. A Japanese input method may offer 莢 after さや or キョウ.

If your Chinese input method offers 荚, switch to traditional characters or choose 莢 from the candidates.

What does 莢 mean?

莢 means a plant pod, especially a bean pod. In Mandarin Chinese it is pronounced jiá (the tone rises); Japanese readings include saya (さや) and kyō (キョウ, with a long “o”).

The Eastern Han dictionary Shuowen Jiezi describes 莢 as a plant fruit and analyzes it as 艸 (plant or grass) plus 夾, which supplies the sound. The record gives a small-seal form, an early formal writing style; an Eastern Han form also appears on writing slips.

Its meaning extends by shape: 榆莢 is an elm fruit, 蓂莢 names a legendary auspicious plant, and the Han-era 莢錢 was a light coin named for its resemblance to an elm pod. Japanese 薬莢 applies the pod or shell idea to a cartridge case.

Use 莢 in traditional Chinese text.

Use 莢 in traditional Chinese text and 荚 in simplified Chinese text. The two forms carry the same meaning; follow the writing system of the surrounding text. Japanese also uses 莢 in 薬莢, where the word means a cartridge case.