素

• Nominal: Raw silk; the essence, basic elements, or fundamental nature of a thing.
• Adjectival: Plain, undyed, or unadorned; pure, simple, or ingenuous (often aligning with natural simplicity).
• Specialized: Vegetarian food (lacking meat), ranging from descriptions of frugality to formal religious requirements.

When modifying a verb or adjective, 素 marks a default or starting state:

• Temporal/Historical: Originally; from the beginning; formerly.
• Dispositional: Naturally; by nature; normally; usually.
• Syntactic Note: When preceding a predicate, prioritize "by nature" or "originally."

• Contrast with 白: While 白 denotes visual color (white) or void, 素 emphasizes the unprocessed state of a material or an inherent quality (purity/origin).

Be alert to the slippage between literal descriptions of fabric ("plain silk") and metaphors for character or virtue ("a simple heart"). Context determines if the author is describing a physical object or a moral quality.