稀
xī · HSK 7
sparse
🌧️ Left side 禾 = grain; thin, sparse stalks make a harvest rare and watery-sparse.
禾 (grain radical) on the left signals crops; the character covers both senses of thinly spread: rare and uncommon, and watery or diluted like a sparse, thin soup. Sparse grain = scarce.
稀 — grain 禾 + rare/scattered 希
A phono-semantic compound: 禾 (grain) gives the meaning, while 希 (rare, scattered) supplies the sound and reinforces the sense. Originally described thinly scattered grain in a field, then extended generally to mean 'sparse,' 'thin,' or 'rare.'