How to Write 樗 (chū) — Meaning “Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven)”

Imagine a tall tree (木) with branches stretching up like hands praying for rain (雩), because the Ailanthus tree is known for growing quickly in poor soil and surviving drought. You can also think "chu" sounds like "chew" – animals rarely eat its bitter leaves, so it stands useless in the forest. This visual of a prayer-like tree can help link the shape to its meaning.

Pay attention to the right side 雩: it has 雨 (rain) on top and 亏 (qīu, a variation of 于) below, not 夸 or other similar shapes. The top 雨 must be narrow to fit, and the 木 radical is written with a shorter horizontal stroke so the right side doesn't get crowded. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or confusing the bottom part with 亏's stroke order (first horizontal, then vertical hook).

樗 (chū) refers to the Ailanthus tree, 椴 (duàn) means the Linden or basswood tree, and 椹 (zhēn or shèn) can mean mulberry fruit or a kind of chestnut. Visually, 椹 has the phonetic component 甚 (very/extreme) while 椴 has 段 (segment). In usage, 樗 is often used metaphorically to mean "useless" (as in 樗栎), while 椴 and 椹 are neutral tree names without that cultural meaning.

樗 is rarely used in daily conversation because the Ailanthus tree is not a common topic. It mainly appears in literary or classical contexts, especially in the idiom 樗栎之材 (materials of ailanthus and oak) which describes something of little use, or in the word 樗散 meaning useless or idle. You might encounter it in old poems or essays about humble and unremarkable things.

Common words containing 樗 include: 樗木 (chū mù) — Ailanthus wood; 樗栎 (chū lì) — Ailanthus and oak (metaphor for uselessness); 樗散 (chū sàn) — Useless / idle.