枣 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) jujube; Chinese date (Zizyphus jujuba)
How to write 枣, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 8
Meaning of 枣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) jujube; Chinese date (Zizyphus jujuba)
How 枣 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Dates ⺀ falling off a tree 朿.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 枣
The top part 朿 (cì) looks like a thorny tree, and the two dots ⺀ underneath are dates dropping off it. Picture ripe jujubes falling from a spiky branch.
枣 is a bound form, so it usually appears in words like 红枣 (hóngzǎo, red dates), 枣树 (zǎoshù, jujube tree) and 枣子 (zǎozi, jujube). Red dates are common in soups, porridge and snacks. Example: 我妈妈喜欢在粥里放红枣。(Wǒ māma xǐhuan zài zhōu lǐ fàng hóngzǎo.) My mom likes to put red dates in porridge.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 枣 (zǎo) with 早 (zǎo, early) because they sound the same, so pay attention to context and the written form. Also do not confuse the top part 朿 with 来 or 束 (shù); 朿 has no horizontal stroke through the middle like 束.
Questions about 枣
How many strokes are in 枣?
枣 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 枣 mean?
枣 (zǎo) means (bound form) jujube; Chinese date (Zizyphus jujuba).
How do you pronounce 枣?
枣 is pronounced zǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 枣?
The radical of 枣 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 枣 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 枣?
The traditional form of 枣 is 棗. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 枣 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 枣 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 枣 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is a Chinese 枣 the same as a Middle Eastern date?
Not exactly. 枣 is the jujube, a different fruit from the date palm fruit. Middle Eastern dates are usually called 椰枣 (yēzǎo) or 海枣 (hǎizǎo) in Chinese.
Why are red dates given at Chinese weddings?
枣 (zǎo) sounds like 早 (zǎo, early), so 早生贵子 (zǎo shēng guì zǐ) is a wish for the couple to have a child soon. Red dates are often placed with peanuts, longans and lotus seeds on the wedding bed for this reason.