How to Write 柏 (bǎi/bó) — Meaning “Cypress or cedar tree.”

Imagine a cypress tree (木) growing in a snowy white (白) landscape, because cypress trees stay green even in winter. The white snow helps you remember the right side 白. Picture a white tree trunk to link the meaning and sound together.

The left radical 木 is written first: horizontal stroke, vertical, then left-falling and right-falling strokes. Then write the right side 白 starting with a short left-falling stroke, then horizontal, then the inner horizontal, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the left 木 too wide; keep it narrow so 白 has enough space.

柏 means cypress tree and has 白 on the right, while 杆 (gǎn) means pole or rod and has 干 on the right. 杈 (chā) means fork of a tree and has 叉 on the right. Pay attention to the right-side component: 白 vs. 干 vs. 叉, which change both meaning and pronunciation.

柏 appears in words like 柏树 (cypress tree) and 松柏 (pine and cypress), which together symbolize resilience and longevity in Chinese culture. The city name 柏林 (Bó Lín) uses a different pronunciation bó for Berlin. Cypress trees are often planted in cemeteries or temples because they represent endurance.

Common words containing 柏 include: 柏树 (bǎi shù) — Cypress tree.; 松柏 (sōng bǎi) — pine and cypress; 柏林 (bó lín) — Berlin..