How to Write 梅 (méi) — Meaning “Plum”

Picture a plum tree (木) with a mother (每) standing next to it, picking plums. The mother's shape (每) can also remind you of a person with a wide hat, standing by the tree.

Keep the left radical 木 narrow and tall, with the vertical stroke straight. The right part 每 has a horizontal stroke that should cross the left side slightly; be careful not to make the 母 component too wide or the bottom strokes too crowded.

梅 means 'plum' (tree or fruit), while 枯 means 'withered' or 'dried up' (a tree that is dead). 枰 refers to a chessboard or flat wooden surface. Visually, 梅 has 每 on the right, 枯 has 古 (ancient) on the right, and 枰 has 平 (flat) on the right.

梅 appears in the name of the plum blossom (梅花), a symbol of winter resilience and a popular subject in art and poetry. It is also used in food terms like 杨梅 (bayberry) and in names of people and places, reflecting its cultural importance.

Common words containing 梅 include: 梅花 (méi huā) — Plum blossom; 腊梅 (là méi) — Wintersweet; 杨梅 (yáng méi) — waxberry; bayberry.