How to Write 柳 (liǔ) — Meaning “willow”

Imagine a willow tree (木) with long, drooping branches that look like rabbit ears — the right side 卯 looks a bit like a rabbit sitting. Another trick: think "liǔ" sounds like "leaf" and willow trees have narrow leaves.

Pay attention to the left radical 木: it becomes narrower, with the third stroke changed to a dot instead of a full left-falling stroke. The right part 卯 has five strokes; the most important is the vertical turning hook (竖弯钩) — make sure it curves smoothly without a sharp angle. A common mistake is making the left and right sides unbalanced, so keep the right side slightly taller.

柳 (willow) has the right component 卯, while 杆 (gǎn, pole/rod) uses 干 (dry/stem) and 杈 (chà, fork) uses 叉 (fork). Visually, 柳 is more complex with several hooks on the right side. In meaning, 柳 refers to a tree, 杆 to a long stick, and 杈 to a forked branch or tool.

柳 appears in common words like 柳树 (willow tree), 柳条 (willow branch/wicker), and 柳叶 (willow leaf). In Chinese culture, willow often symbolizes spring, beauty, and farewell because ancient poets used willow branches to express sadness at parting — the word 柳 sounds like 留 (to stay).

Common words containing 柳 include: 柳树 (liǔ shù) — willow tree; 柳条 (liǔ tiáo) — willow branch; wicker; 柳叶 (liǔ yè) — willow leaf.