筍

It refers to the young shoot of a bamboo plant, especially the tender sprout harvested for food.

By extension, in literary or figurative usage, it may suggest: new growth; something young, tender, or emerging.

A phono-semantic compound:

竹 (bamboo) — semantic component

旬 (ten-day period; cycle) — phonetic component

The character literally denotes the fresh shoot that emerges from bamboo, which grows rapidly within a short period.

The phonetic element 旬 contributes sound and also subtly reflects a short growth cycle, as bamboo shoots emerge quickly.

Primary meaning: bamboo shoot

Extended metaphorical sense (classical/literary): youth, freshness, early stage of growth.

죽순 (竹筍) — bamboo shoot

죽순 요리 (竹筍料理) — bamboo-shoot dish

Related characters:

竹 — bamboo (radical / semantic base)

簧 — reed (bamboo-related)

笠 — bamboo hat (bamboo product)

Bamboo shoots are a classic symbol of spring in East Asian cultures.

The rapid growth of bamboo shoots makes 筍 a metaphor for swift development or youthful vitality.

In Chinese poetry, bamboo shoots often contrast with old bamboo, symbolizing renewal.

Nutritionally, bamboo shoots have long been valued as a light and refined food, influencing their positive literary connotations.

箰 (U+7BB0) — a variant, which may appear in some dictionaries or older documents, but is rarely used in modern Japanese.