How to Write 枫 (fēng) — Meaning “maple”

Imagine a maple tree (木) standing in the wind (风), with its red leaves blowing off — the image of "wind in the tree" helps you remember the meaning. You can also think of the word "feng" in "feng shui" to recall the sound.

First write the 木 radical on the left: horizontal, then vertical, then a left-falling stroke, and finish with a dot (not a right-falling stroke). Then write the right side 风: start with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal hook, another left-falling, and finally a dot. A common mistake is making the hook too big or confusing the dot order.

朱 (zhū) means "vermillion" or "red" and has no tree radical — it is a simple character with a different shape. 朴 (pǔ) also has the 木 radical but uses 卜 (bǔ) on the right, meaning "simple" or "plain"; 枫's right side 风 (wind) is clearly different visually and phonetically.

枫 appears in words like 枫叶 (maple leaf) and 枫树 (maple tree), often in autumn descriptions and poetry. In Chinese culture, maple leaves are a symbol of autumn beauty and nostalgia, so you might see 枫 in scenic names or literary works.

Common words containing 枫 include: 枫叶 (fēng yè) — maple leaf; 枫树 (fēng shù) — maple tree; 枫林 (fēng lín) — maple forest.