---
title: "Pusu Meaning: 朴素 (pǔsù) Means “plain”"
description: "朴素 (traditional 樸素, pǔsù) means “plain; simple; unadorned”. Hear its tones, see what 朴 and 素 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/pusu"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 朴素 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

朴素 pǔsù

## plain; simple; unadorned

## It can also mean

- frugal

## Its characters

1. 朴 pǔ plain
2. 素 sù plain

## In a sentence

她今天穿得很朴素。 She is dressed very plainly today.

在沙漠边缘，人们还常用一种**朴素**的办法：把麦草插进沙中，排成一米见方的格子，叫“草方格”。

From [“绿色长城”是什么？ · What is China's Great Green Wall?](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-chinas-great-green-wall#library-word-319-321)

[More about 朴素](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%B4%E7%B4%A0)

## More words with 朴 or 素

- [激素 jīsù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jisu)
- [抗生素 kàngshēngsù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/kangshengsu)
- [素材 sùcái](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/sucai)
- [素养 sùyǎng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/suyang)
- [素质 sùzhì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/suzhi)
- [维生素 wéishēngsù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/weishengsu)
- [要素 yàosù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/yaosu)
- [因素 yīnsù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/yinsu)
- [元素 yuánsù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/yuansu)

## Keep 朴素 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

## Look up another word

## See any word in its sentence

Get a card like this for every word on any page or YouTube subtitle.

[Add to Chrome](https://mandarinthewild.com/go/chrome?from=%2Fmeaning%2Fpusu) [Read in the Library](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

[All 214 Chinese radicals](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-radicals)

[The best free Chinese listening practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/guides/chinese-listening-practice-resources)