棗 meaning and stroke order
Date tree; dates, jujubes; surname
How to write 棗, stroke by stroke
12 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 棗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) jujube; Chinese date (Zizyphus jujuba)
How 棗 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A tree 朿 with many thorns 朿.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 棗
棗 is two thorny trees 朿 stacked on top of each other. Picture a jujube tree so full of thorns that it looks like one thorny tree growing on another.
棗 is the traditional form of 枣 and is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 紅棗 (hóngzǎo, red dates) or 棗樹 (zǎoshù, jujube tree). Red dates are common in Chinese soups, teas and sweets. Example: 她每天喝紅棗茶。(Tā měitiān hē hóngzǎo chá.) She drinks red date tea every day.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 棗 (zǎo) with 棘 (jí, thorny bushes), which puts the same two 朿 side by side instead of stacked. Remember: stacked top and bottom is the date tree 棗, side by side is the thorn bush 棘.
Questions about 棗
How many strokes are in 棗?
棗 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 棗 mean?
棗 (zǎo) means date tree; dates, jujubes; surname.
How do you pronounce 棗?
棗 is pronounced zǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 棗?
The radical of 棗 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 棗 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 棗?
棗 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 枣, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is a Chinese date 棗 the same as the dates from palm trees?
No. 棗 refers to the jujube, a small fruit from a thorny tree native to China. Palm dates are usually called 椰棗 (yēzǎo) or 海棗 (hǎizǎo).
Why does 棗 sometimes appear in wedding customs?
棗 (zǎo) sounds like 早 (zǎo, early). Together with peanuts and other items, red dates are given to newlyweds as a wish for 早生貴子 (zǎo shēng guìzǐ), having a child early.