This gradually spread until it became the word for `` chopsticks '' in most varieties of modern Chinese . The character for this new meaning of `` chopsticks '' ( ç ) for kuÃ i has the semantic element of bamboo added to the character meaning `` fast '' kuÃ i ( å `` ) . For written semantic differentiation between the `` fast '' versus `` chopsticks '' meanings of å `` , a new character ç was created for chopsticks by adding the bamboo ( ç `` ) radical ( â ) to it .