How to Write 桂 (guì) — Meaning “osmanthus; laurel”

Imagine a tree (木) that grows jade tablets (圭) instead of fruit — these tablets symbolize the precious osmanthus flowers. The word "gui" sounds like "gooey," helping you recall the sweet scent of osmanthus blossoms.

Write the left 木 first: horizontal, vertical, left slash, right dot. Then add 圭 with two stacked 土 — be sure to write four horizontal strokes in total. A common mistake is making the right side too narrow or forgetting the second vertical stroke in 圭.

桂 has 圭 (two stacked earth) on the right, while 杪 has 少 (meaning small) and 杭 has 亢. Visually, 桂 is wider because of the double earth, and it relates to osmanthus, whereas 杪 means treetop and 杭 is a place name (Hangzhou).

桂 appears in 桂花 (osmanthus flower) and 肉桂 (cinnamon), and in the city name 桂林 (Guilin). Osmanthus is deeply tied to the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing sweetness and reunion, and its fragrant flowers are often used in tea and desserts.

Common words containing 桂 include: 桂花 (guì huā) — osmanthus flower; 肉桂 (ròu guì) — cinnamon; 桂林 (guì lín) — Guilin (a city in China).