Chinese Radicals Series豆dòu

The pictogram of the word 豆 depicts a vessel with legs for keeping food in. the short line in the vessel represents the food inside it. The word now refers to most types of beans or peas.

The word 豆 can be used in phrases with general references to beans and peas. Some examples are 豆芽 (dòu yá, ’sprout’)， 豆腐 (dòu fu, ‘curd’)， 豆子 (dòu zi, ‘beans’) and 黄豆 (huáng dòu, ‘soya bean’).

豆 is also used as a component in word-formation. Words with this component are related to beans, for example, 豌 (wān, ‘pea’), this component can also be used as an indication of pronunciation, for example, 痘 (dòu, ’smallpox’).

In the Three Kingdom period in the third century, when Cao Pi succeeded his father Cao Cao, he was jealous of the talent of his half brother Cao Zhi. One day, he demanded his brother compose a poem in the time it took he walk seven paces, failing which he would be severely punished. Cao Zhi, knowing his brother’s intention, recited the famous ‘seven-step poem’ about beans: 煮豆燃豆萁，都在釜中泣; 本是同根生，相煎何太急! (zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí，dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì; běn shì tóng gēn shēng，xiāng jiān hé tài jí,’burning beanstalk to cook beans in a pot, they sob because it’s hot. From the same roots both are, the frying has gone too far! ’).

Idioms and phrases
豆花 dòu huā
Soya jelly
豆浆 dòu jiāng
Soya drink
豆奶 dòu nǎi
Soya milk
豆沙 dòu shā
Sweetened red or green bean paste, which is often wrapped in Chinese pastry.