桑 meaning and stroke order
Mulberry tree; surname
How to write 桑, stroke by stroke
10 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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Meaning of 桑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) mulberry tree
- old variant of 桑[sang1]
How 桑 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A tree 木 bearing berries 叒.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 桑
Picture a tree 木 (mù) at the bottom with three little 又 shapes 叒 on top, like clusters of berries hanging from its branches. A tree loaded with berries is the mulberry tree, 桑 (sāng).
桑 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in words like 桑树 (sāngshù, mulberry tree), 沧桑 (cāngsāng, great changes over time), and the loanword 桑拿 (sāngná, sauna). Example: 他经历了很多沧桑。 (Tā jīnglì le hěn duō cāngsāng.) He has been through many ups and downs.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as three 叉 or squeeze in only two 又. There are exactly three 又 shapes, one on top and two side by side below it, sitting on 木. Also do not confuse 桑 (sāng) with 丧 (sàng, to lose, mourning), which sounds similar but has a different tone and meaning.
Common words with 桑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
桑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 桑
Learning 桑 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 桑
How many strokes are in 桑?
桑 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 桑 mean?
桑 (sāng) means mulberry tree; surname. A common word with it is 桑拿 (sāngná), meaning "(loanword) sauna".
How do you pronounce 桑?
桑 is pronounced sāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 桑?
The radical of 桑 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 桑 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 桑?
The traditional form of 桑 is 桒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 桑 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 桑 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 桑 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 沧桑 mean great changes?
It comes from the idiom 沧海桑田 (cānghǎi sāngtián), where the blue sea turns into mulberry fields. It describes huge changes over a long time, and 沧桑 often suggests hardship and weathered experience.
Is 桑 used as a surname?
Yes, 桑 (Sāng) is a Chinese surname, though not a very common one. You say 我姓桑 (Wǒ xìng Sāng) to introduce it.