算

Ideogrammic compound:

竹 (bamboo) — represents the bamboo sticks used in ancient counting.

具 (to possess, to equip) — indicates arrangement and readiness.

Together, they depict the act of placing and arranging counting rods (算木) made of bamboo or wood in order to calculate — hence “to count” or “to compute.”

計算 (계산) — calculation, to compute

打算 (타산) — to plan, to intend

預算 (예산) — budget, estimation

算數 (산수) — arithmetic

心算 (심산) — mental calculation

算法 (산법) — algorithm (modern technical usage)

In Korean idioms, expressions like 산통(算筒) (“lot-drawing cylinder”) and 산통을 깨다 (“to spoil a plan”) derive from the ancient use of counting rods stored in a cylindrical case.

In ancient China, 算木 (counting rods) were used long before the invention of the abacus.

Each rod’s placement represented numerical values and operations, forming the basis for early Chinese mathematics (算術) — a system later refined in works like the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art (九章算術).

These counting rods also served in divination practices (算卜): rods were shaken or drawn to determine hexagrams in the I Ching (周易), linking mathematical order with cosmic harmony.

In Korea, 산가지셈 (bamboo-stick arithmetic) remained in use long after it faded in China or Japan, highlighting the cultural persistence of practical computation methods.

Linguistic note:

The modern Chinese expression “算了 (suàn le)” — literally “it’s been counted” — evolved from the older sense “to finish counting,” now meaning “that’s enough” or “never mind.”

Thus, 算 bridges both logic and emotion, moving from cold calculation to expressions of closure and acceptance.

An ancient variant is 祘 (U+7958), where two 示 (altar symbols) replace 竹, suggesting a ritual or divinatory context.