The kanji 庶 generally conveys the idea of "common people," "the populace," or "ordinary people." It can also imply something "general" or "numerous."

・On-yomi (音読み): ショ (sho) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, as the meaning is inherent.

⚫︎庶民 Translation: common people; the masses; the general public ⚫︎庶務 Translation: general affairs; general business; clerical work ⚫︎庶子 Translation: a child born out of wedlock, a child of a concubine. In older contexts, the term can refer to a child who is not the heir.

The kanji 庶 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいいもじ). The left side is a radical called 广(まだれ, "wide; vast"), indicating a space or a building. The right side is 耂which represents old man and also provides the sound. Together, they suggest a large space containing many people, reflecting the meaning of "common people" or "the populace." The radical 广 is simplified as 广.