How to Write 松 (sōng) — Meaning “pine; loose; relax”

Imagine a tall pine tree (木) standing in a public (公) park, and you sit under it to relax. The right side 公 looks like a small tree with two branches spreading out, reminding you of pine needles. This picture links the character to both 'pine tree' and 'relax' through the same visual.

Write the left radical 木 first: horizontal line, vertical stroke, left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then write the right side 公: left-falling, right-falling, a small left-falling hook, and a dot. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or uneven, so keep 公 compact and balanced with the left side.

松 has 公 on the right and means 'pine' or 'relax'. 朱 (zhū) has a horizontal stroke through the middle of 木 and means 'vermilion red'. 朴 (pǔ) has 卜 (bǔ, divination) on the right and means 'plain' or 'simple'. The key is to compare the right-side component: 公, a horizontal line, or 卜.

松 is very common in words like 放松 (fàng sōng, to relax) and 轻松 (qīng sōng, relaxed/easy), as well as 松树 (sōng shù, pine tree). In Chinese culture, the pine tree symbolizes endurance and longevity, often appearing in art and poetry as a symbol of steadfastness.

Common words containing 松 include: 放松 (fàng sōng) — to relax; 松树 (sōng shù) — pine tree; 轻松 (qīng sōng) — Relaxed; easy.