How to Write 榛 (zhēn) — Meaning “Hazel”

Imagine a hazelnut tree (木) growing next to a farmer in the Qín dynasty (秦). The farmer is holding two hazelnuts, one in each hand. This picture helps you remember both the tree radical and the complex right side with its three parts: 一一一禾.

Write the left radical 木 first as a tall, narrow stroke 一丨丿㇏, then the right side 秦 with the top 一一一 followed by 禾 (丿一丨丿㇏) and finally the bottom 木. A common mistake is making the left and right sides too wide — keep 木 narrow and the right side compact to fit within a square.

榛 (hazel tree) uses the 木 radical on the left with 秦 on the right, while 棉 (cotton) has the same radical but the right side is 帛 (bó), meaning silk — cotton is a plant that produces fluffy fibers. 棋 (chess) also has 木 on the left but the right side is 其, referring to a game piece, not a tree. Visually, the right sides are completely different: 秦 vs 帛 vs 其.

榛 is most commonly seen in the word 榛子 (zhēn zi), meaning hazelnut, which is a popular snack and ingredient in sweets. It also appears in 榛仁 (zhēn rén) for hazelnut kernels and 榛树 (zhēn shù) for the hazel tree. While not a high-frequency character, it is used in botanical contexts and on food packaging for nut products.

Common words containing 榛 include: 榛子 (zhēn zi) — Hazelnut; 榛仁 (zhēn rén) — Hazelnut kernel; 榛树 (zhēn shù) — Hazel tree.