How to Write 桤 (qī) — Meaning “Alder tree”

Imagine a tree (木) that is so peculiar that you ask "岂?" (surprise question) when you see an alder tree for the first time. The alder tree grows near water, so picture a surprised face next to a tree by a river.

Write the left radical 木 with a narrow stroke to leave space for the right side; the horizontal stroke in 木 is short and slopes slightly up. On the right, 岂 has a mountain-like top (山) over 己, so make sure the 己 part is not too wide — keep it balanced with the left side.

桤 (alder tree) differs from 杪 (miǎo, meaning treetop or tip) which uses 少 (small) instead of 岂 — 杪 focuses on the end of a branch, not a tree type. 杭 (háng, as in Hangzhou or to cross) uses 亢 (kàng) and relates to boating or a city name, not a specific tree.

桤 is not common in daily conversation but appears in forestry or botany contexts for the alder tree. You will see it in names of tree species like 桤木 (alder wood) or in place names where alder trees grow, especially in southern China.

Common words containing 桤 include: 桤木 (qī mù) — Alder wood; 桤树 (qī shù) — Alder tree; 水桤 (shuǐ qī) — Water alder.