How to Write 樱 (yīng) — Meaning “cherry”

Imagine a baby (婴) sitting under a cherry tree (木), reaching up to grab a bright red cherry. The baby's round cheeks look like the fruit, linking the image to the meaning of cherry.

The left radical 木 must be written narrow, with a short vertical stroke, so the right side 婴 has enough space. The right part 婴 has nine strokes; be careful to write the top component 贝-like and the bottom 女 with balanced width. A common mistake is making the 木 too wide, which squashes the character.

樱 has the phonetic 婴 on the right, while 椴 has 段 (duàn) meaning linden tree, and 椹 has 甚 (shèn) meaning mulberry. Visually, the right side of 樱 has the 贝 and 女 pattern, whereas 椴 has a left-slanting 殳 and 椹 has a square 甚.

樱 appears in words like 樱花 (yīng huā, cherry blossom) and 樱桃 (yīng táo, cherry fruit). In Chinese culture, 樱花 is especially associated with spring and Japan's cherry blossom festivals, though it is also used in Chinese names and poetry to suggest beauty and fleeting time.

Common words containing 樱 include: 樱花 (yīng huā) — cherry blossom; 樱桃 (yīng táo) — cherry; 樱红 (yīng hóng) — cherry red.