舒服

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 舒服 (shūfu) means "comfortable" or "at ease". It is composed of two characters: 舒 (shū), which means "to stretch out" or "to relax", and 服 (fú), which means "clothing" or "to wear". The combination of these two characters suggests the idea of being able to relax and be comfortable in one's clothing, which is often associated with a sense of well-being and contentment.The character 舒 (shū) is composed of two parts: the radical 糸 (mì), which represents silk or thread, and the phonetic component 殳 (shū), which is a pictograph of a weapon. The combination of these two components suggests the idea of something that is smooth and flowing, like silk, and that can be used to strike or defend, like a weapon. This combination of meanings gives the character 舒 (shū) the sense of "to stretch out" or "to relax".The character 服 (fú) is composed of two parts: the radical 纟 (fú), which represents clothing, and the phonetic component 頁 (yè), which is a pictograph of a head. The combination of these two components suggests the idea of something that is worn on the head or body, like clothing. This combination of meanings gives the character 服 (fú) the sense of "clothing" or "to wear".When these two characters are combined to form the word 舒服 (shūfu), the meaning is extended to include the idea of being able to relax and be comfortable in one's clothing, which is often associated with a sense of well-being and contentment.