How to Write 棣 (dì) — Meaning “kerria; cherry”

Imagine a tree (木) that is so well-connected (like 隶 suggesting connection) that it grows both kerria flowers and cherries. The picture of a branching tree with many blossoms can help link the sound dì to the characters in common words like 棣棠.

The left side 木 must have its fourth stroke (the dot) clearly separated from the vertical stroke, not touching it. The right part 隶 has a small hook at the bottom of the vertical stroke, and the dot above 䏍 should align with the center.

棣 (dì) means a type of tree (kerria/cherry), while 柴 (chái) means firewood or twigs, and 栓 (shuān) means a bolt or plug. Visually, 柴 replaces the right side with 此 (cǐ), and 栓 uses 全 (quán) — the left radical 木 is shared, but the right parts differ completely.

棣 is rarely used alone; it mainly appears in the plant name 棣棠 (kerria japonica), a popular garden shrub with yellow flowers. In classical poetry, 棣 sometimes symbolizes brotherly affection, because the phrase 棣棠 (dì táng) can refer to loving fraternal bonds in literary contexts.

Common words containing 棣 include: 棣棠 (dì táng) — Japanese rose (Kerria japonica); 棣棠花 (dì táng huā) — kerria flower; 棣通 (dì tōng) — well-connected; smoothly flowing.