The Chinese character 扫 (sǎo) has a fascinating original structure that gives us clues to its meaning.

It’s a combination of two elements:

• 扌(shǒu): This is the “hand radical,” indicating that the action involves the hand.
• 帚 (zhǒu): This component originally depicted a broom.

Therefore, the original structure of 扫 literally shows a “hand using a broom.” This directly relates to the character’s primary meaning: to sweep.

Over time, 扫 has also taken on extended meanings, such as:

• To clear away: This can be physical, like sweeping dust, or more abstract, like clearing away obstacles or eliminating something.
• To scan: This relates to the sweeping motion of the eyes when looking across something quickly.

However, the core concept of “sweeping” remains central to the character’s meaning, derived from its original structure depicting a hand and a broom.