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叢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
叢cóngbush, shrub; thicket; collectionx, 18 strokes, radical 又
cóng(cong2) T2
  1. 1bush, shrub; thicket; collection
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March 24, 2026

叢cóng(cong2)

The character 叢 (cóng) refers to a group or cluster of bushes or shrubs, often found in natural settings. It conveys the idea of something being densely packed together, like a thicket or a collection of similar items. This term is commonly used in contexts related to nature and gardening.

Strokes18Radical又
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 叢 can be connected to the importance of nature and gardening in traditional practices, such as in poetry and painting where thickets symbolize growth and vitality. This character evokes imagery of lush landscapes that are often celebrated in Chinese art.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dense cluster of bushes where animals can hide. Think of the 'c' in 'cóng' standing for 'cluster', and the 'óng' sounds like a song you sing while exploring a thicket. Visualize yourself getting lost in a beautiful garden filled with many bushes.

Meanings of 叢

cóng(cong2)
1bush, shrub; thicket; collection
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 叢

叢Simplified
18Strokes
又Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 叢

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Podcast: 叢

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AI Study Notes for 叢

Quick Contrast

丛 (cóng) vs 群 (qún) — use 叢 (cóng) specifically for dense clusters of plants, while 群 (qún) refers more broadly to groups or crowds of animals or people.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 叢 (cóng) with other similar-sounding characters, especially in speech. It is more commonly used in written contexts and might sound overly formal in casual conversation. Common collocations include 叢林 (cónglín), meaning 'jungle' or 'forest'.

HSK Study Tips

While 叢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be associated with words learned at HSK 4 and above that deal with nature and the environment. Students should focus on recognizing the character in texts about flora and fauna.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 叢 (cóng) with similar characters like 總 (zǒng) due to their similar sounds. Remember that 叢 specifically relates to a collection of bushes, while 總 means 'overall' or 'total'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 叢

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Etymology of 叢

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 一 represents the meaning and 从 represents the sound. Simplified form of 叢.

Memory Hint

thick

Semantic (meaning)丵
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 叢

Phonosemantic compound. 一 represents the meaning and 从 represents the sound. Simplified form of 叢.

  1. 1The meaning half丵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawaythick
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 叢? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 叢?

Decomposition of 叢

IDS Structure⿱丵⿸耳又
叢Full Character
=
丵zhuo2
top
耳er3
enclosing
又you4
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 叢?

How to say bush, shrub; thicket; collection in Chinese

“bush, shrub; thicket; collection” in Chinese is叢cóng

The character 叢 (cóng) refers to a group or cluster of bushes or shrubs, often found in natural settings. It conveys the idea of something being densely packed together, like a thicket or a collection of similar items. This term is commonly used in contexts related to nature and gardening.

When to use 叢

Be careful not to confuse 叢 (cóng) with other similar-sounding characters, especially in speech. It is more commonly used in written contexts and might sound overly formal in casual conversation. Common collocations include 叢林 (cónglín), meaning 'jungle' or 'forest'.

叢 or something close to it

丛 (cóng) vs 群 (qún) — use 叢 (cóng) specifically for dense clusters of plants, while 群 (qún) refers more broadly to groups or crowds of animals or people.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 叢 (cóng) with similar characters like 總 (zǒng) due to their similar sounds. Remember that 叢 specifically relates to a collection of bushes, while 總 means 'overall' or 'total'.

Write 叢

叢

Practice writing 叢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 叢

Words Containing This Character17
丛林cónglínjungle叢林
丛cóngcluster叢
树丛thicket樹叢
草丛underbrush草叢
丛书a series of books叢書
灌木丛shrub灌木叢
丛生overgrown叢生
花丛inflorescence花叢
人丛crowd of people人叢
灌丛scrub灌叢
丛谈forum叢談
丛集to pile up叢集
丛台Congtai district of Handan city 邯鄲市|邯郸市[Hán​dān​shì], Hebei叢臺
丛台区Congtai district of Handan city 邯鄲市|邯郸市[Hán​dān​shì], Hebei叢臺區
孔丛子the K'ung family Masters' anthology, collection of dialogues between Confucius and his disciples, possibly forged in third century by Wang Su 王肅|王肃[Wáng​Sù]孔叢子
纤维丛fiber bundle (math.)纖維叢
百弊丛生All the ill effects appear. (idiom)百弊叢生
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 丛林 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 叢

It is pronounced 'cóng', with a rising tone.

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