How to Write 椹 (shèn) — Meaning “mulberry fruit”

Picture a mulberry tree (木) and imagine its fruit is so tasty that you shout "甚!" meaning "very!" in Chinese. This links the tree radical to the sound and the idea of excellence, helping you remember that 椹 is a delicious mulberry fruit.

The left radical 木 has 4 strokes, and the right part 甚 has 9 strokes, totaling 13. Pay close attention to the right part: it starts with a horizontal stroke, then a vertical, and ends with a long horizontal line—do not mix up the two horizontal strokes at the bottom.

All three characters share the same left radical 木, but the right parts differ: 桫 has 沙 (sand), 桲 has 孛 (a comet), and 椹 has 甚 (very). Their meanings are also distinct: 椹 refers to mulberry fruit, 桫 is a type of tropical tree, and 桲 is a fruit tree like quince.

椹 is almost always used in the word 桑椹 (sāng shèn), which means mulberry fruit. You might see it on food labels, in traditional medicine recipes, or during summer when mulberries are harvested, but it is not a common character in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 椹 include: 桑椹 (sāng shèn) — Mulberry fruit; 椹果 (shèn guǒ) — mulberry fruit; 椹子 (shèn zi) — mulberry fruit.