樹 / 树
shù
The English word tree is translated into Mandarin as 樹 / 树 (shù). Wiktionary also lists 喬木 / 乔木 (qiáomù) and 樹木 / 树木 (shùmù).
Meaning: large woody plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 樹 / 树 | shù | ||
| 喬木 / 乔木 | qiáomù | ||
| 樹木 / 树木 | shùmù | ||
| 樹 / 树 | chhiū / sū / sī | Hokkien | |
| 𣗬 | chhiū | /t͡sʰiu²²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /t͡sʰiu⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
| 樹叢 / 树丛 | sū-chông / chhiū-châng | Hokkien | |
| 樹仔 / 树仔 | chhiū-á | Hokkien |
The word refers to a large woody plant.
Which one should you use?
While 樹木 (shùmù) refers to trees in a general, collective or more formal sense, the single character 樹 (shù) is the standard way to refer to an individual tree. Additionally, 喬木 (qiáomù) is a technical botanical term specifically for woody plants that grow upright, often used in scientific or formal contexts to distinguish them from shrubs.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you may see the forms 樹 / 树 (chhiū / sū / sī), 𣗬 (chhiū), 樹叢 / 树丛 (sū-chông / chhiū-châng) and 樹仔 / 树仔 (chhiū-á). The form фу (fu) is used in Dungan.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 樹 / 树 is shù.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese art and poetry, trees are often painted or described using a 'bone' structure 骨, referring to the strength and spirit of the trunk and branches.
- In Chinese culture, the 'willow tree' 柳樹 is often associated with parting and sadness, while the 'pine tree' 松樹 symbolizes longevity and steadfastness.
- The character 樹 is a phono-semantic compound that originally used the character 尌, meaning 'to plant a tree'. An extra 'wood' radical 木 was added later to make the meaning clearer.
Examples in context
- 在这片土地上生长着茂密的树林。In this land, there is a dense forest of trees.
- 这些树木都是上个世纪种下的。These trees were all planted in the last century.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tree” translations and entries 𣗬, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 樹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
