熟

shú · HSK 2

ripe

🍲 熟 = 享 (offer cooked food) + 丸 + 灬 (fire); food cooked over fire until ripe/done

Originally depicted preparing cooked food as an offering, with 灬 marking fire underneath. Meaning extended from 'cooked/ripe' to 'thoroughly done', then to 'familiar' (well-versed) and 'deep' (as in 熟睡, deep sleep).

熟 — 享 (offering) + 灬 (fire)
Originally written 孰, depicting hands offering food (享) for cooking. The fire radical 灬 was later added to emphasize cooking with heat. The core sense 'cooked' extended naturally to 'ripe,' 'familiar,' and 'skilled through repeated practice.'

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