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樗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
樗chūAilanthus tree; a kind of small tree, useless for timberg, 15 strokes, radical 木, rank #61979, Very Hard
樗chūsimaroubaceaeunknown, 15 strokes, radical 木, rank #61979, Very Hard
chū(chu1) T1
  1. 1Ailanthus tree; a kind of small tree, useless for timber
  2. 2simaroubaceae
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

樗chū(chu1)

The character 樗 (chū) refers to the Ailanthus tree, which is often considered a small tree with little value for timber. It is commonly found in various regions and can be associated with growth in difficult environments, reflecting its resilience despite being perceived as 'useless' in terms of wood quality.

Strokes15Radical木Frequency#61979DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, trees like the 樗 symbolize resilience and adaptability, often appearing in poetry to convey deeper meanings about life and perseverance, despite their practical limitations.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small tree that stands tall despite its perceived uselessness. The character 樗 looks like a tree (木) with an extra 'thing' (丷) on top, reminding you of a tree that grows where others cannot, yet is not valued for its timber.

Meanings of 樗

chū(chu1)
1Ailanthus tree; a kind of small tree, useless for timber
2simaroubaceae
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 樗

樗Simplified
15Strokes
木Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 樗

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Podcast: 樗

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AI Study Notes for 樗

Usage Notes

樗 is rarely used in everyday conversation and is more likely to appear in literary or botanical contexts. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with similar characters, and note that it is considered somewhat formal or technical.

HSK Study Tips

While 樗 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your knowledge of botanical terms. It's beneficial to connect it with other plant-related words, especially those in the HSK vocabulary, to build a thematic vocabulary set.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 樗 with other tree-related characters like 树 (shù) which means 'tree' in general. Remember that 樗 specifically refers to the Ailanthus tree, a more specialized term.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 樗

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Etymology of 樗

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

tree

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)雩
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 樗

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half雩 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaytree
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 樗? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 樗?

Decomposition of 樗

IDS Structure⿰木雩
樗Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
雩yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 樗?

How to say Ailanthus tree; a kind of small tree, useless for timber in Chinese

“Ailanthus tree; a kind of small tree, useless for timber” in Chinese is樗chū

The character 樗 (chū) refers to the Ailanthus tree, which is often considered a small tree with little value for timber. It is commonly found in various regions and can be associated with growth in difficult environments, reflecting its resilience despite being perceived as 'useless' in terms of wood quality.

When to use 樗

樗 is rarely used in everyday conversation and is more likely to appear in literary or botanical contexts. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with similar characters, and note that it is considered somewhat formal or technical.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 樗 with other tree-related characters like 树 (shù) which means 'tree' in general. Remember that 樗 specifically refers to the Ailanthus tree, a more specialized term.

Write 樗

樗

Practice writing 樗 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 樗

Words Containing This Character1
樗chūsimaroubaceae
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 樗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 樗

樗 translates to 'Ailanthus tree,' which is known for its resilience but is not valued for timber.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 樗?

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