The kanji 塑 primarily conveys the idea of molding, shaping, or forming something, often with a pliable material like clay or plastic. It implies the creation of a three-dimensional form.

・On-yomi (音読み): ソ (so) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None commonly used.

⚫︎塑像 Translation: Sculpture (especially a clay or plastic one) ⚫︎塑造 Translation: To mold; to shape; to create a form or image. ⚫︎塑性 Translation: Plasticity (the property of a material to be molded or shaped without breaking)

The kanji 塑 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The phonetic component is 土 (tsuchi), meaning "earth" or "soil". The semantic component indicates something related to clay. The other part is the component 朔 (saku) which serves as the phonetic component, contributing the sound. The combination thus depicts the act of shaping or molding clay or similar materials.