How to Write 樨 (xī) — Meaning “osmanthus”

Imagine a rhinoceros (犀) standing under a tree (木) while fragrant osmanthus flowers fall onto its horn. This picture links the sound xī and the meaning of osmanthus to the character 樨.

Keep the left radical 木 narrow and the right part 犀 tall and narrow to maintain balance. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; also, ensure the bottom of 犀 (the 牛 component) aligns with the bottom of 木.

樨 has the right side 犀 (rhinoceros), while 榕 has 容 (appearance) and is used for banyan trees. 榍 is very rare and uses 屑 (xiè) on the right, so focus on the different right components to distinguish them.

樨 appears mainly in the word 木樨 (mù xī, sweet osmanthus), a fragrant flower used in tea and desserts. It is also in 木樨肉 (Moo Shu Pork), a dish named after the flower-like scrambled eggs, and 丹樨 (dān xī, red palace steps) in historical contexts.

Common words containing 樨 include: 木樨 (mù xī) — sweet osmanthus; 木樨肉 (mù xī ròu) — Moo Shu Pork; 丹樨 (dān xī) — red palace steps.