柳 meaning and stroke order
Willow tree; pleasure; surname
How to write 柳, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 柳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- willow
- old variant of 柳[liu3]
How 柳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tree.
木 gives the meaning and 卯 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 柳
柳 (liǔ) is a pictophonetic character: 木 (mù, tree) on the left tells you it is a tree, and 卯 (mǎo) on the right hints at the sound. Picture a tree whose long branches hang down on the right side, like the two drooping halves of 卯.
柳 usually appears in the word 柳树 (liǔshù, willow tree) and in poetic images of spring and parting. It is also a common surname, as in 柳先生 (Liǔ xiānsheng, Mr. Liu). Example: 河边有很多柳树。(Hé biān yǒu hěn duō liǔshù.) There are many willow trees by the river.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse the surname 柳 (liǔ) with the much more common surname 刘 (liú). They differ in both tone and character, so 柳 is third tone with 木 on the left, while 刘 is second tone with 刂 on the right.
Common words with 柳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 柳树 | liǔshù | willow | HSK 7-9 |
柳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 柳
How many strokes are in 柳?
柳 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 柳 mean?
柳 (liǔ) means willow tree; pleasure; surname. A common word with it is 柳树 (liǔshù), meaning "willow".
How do you pronounce 柳?
柳 is pronounced liǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 柳?
The radical of 柳 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 柳 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 柳?
The traditional form of 柳 is 栁 and 桺. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 柳 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 柳 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 柳 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 柳 symbolize in Chinese culture?
In classical poetry the willow is linked with spring and with saying goodbye. The sound of 柳 (liǔ) is close to 留 (liú, to stay), so people once gave willow branches to friends who were leaving.
What is the difference between 柳 and 杨 for trees?
柳 (liǔ) is the willow, with long hanging branches. 杨 (yáng) is the poplar, which grows tall and straight, and the phrase 杨柳 (yángliǔ) is often used in poetry to mean willows in general.