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楂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
楂cháraft; to hew, to fell treesx, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂cháfell treesunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂cháChinese quinceunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂cháhawthornunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂zhāraft; to hew, to fell treesx, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂zhāfell treesunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂zhāChinese quinceunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
楂zhāhawthornunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, Very Hard
chá(cha2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1raft; to hew, to fell trees
  2. 2fell trees
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
楂chá(cha2)

The character 楂 (chá) primarily refers to a type of tree, specifically the Chinese quince or hawthorn, which is known for its fruit and wood. It can also denote the act of felling trees or cutting timber. This word might be used in contexts related to forestry, botany, or crafting.

Strokes13Radical木Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, trees like the hawthorn hold significant value, often associated with health benefits and culinary uses. The wood is also used in various crafts, reflecting the importance of nature in Chinese life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tree (木) that produces a quince (Chinese quince) and is being hewed down (斜) with an axe. The sound 'chá' can remind you of the 'chop' sound you make when you fell a tree, connecting the character's meaning to its pronunciation.

Meanings of 楂

chá(cha2)
primary
1raft; to hew, to fell trees
2fell trees
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 楂

楂Simplified
13Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 楂

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Podcast: 楂

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AI Study Notes for 楂

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a tree (木) that produces a quince (Chinese quince) and is being hewed down (斜) with an axe. The sound 'chá' can remind you of the 'chop' sound you make when you fell a tree, connecting the character's meaning to its pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the pronunciation, as the tone is crucial; 'chā' (叉) means fork, which can lead to confusion. This character is more commonly used in literary or formal contexts, so it may not be frequently encountered in day-to-day conversation. Common collocations involve forestry and botany terms.

HSK Study Tips

As this word is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, students should focus on understanding the components (木 for tree, 斜 for slant) to decipher similar characters. It may connect with other tree-related vocabulary at higher levels.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, trees like the hawthorn hold significant value, often associated with health benefits and culinary uses. The wood is also used in various crafts, reflecting the importance of nature in Chinese life.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 楂 (chá) with other similar-sounding characters, such as 叉 (chā), which means fork. Always remember that 楂 is related to trees and fruit, while 叉 refers to an object used for eating.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 楂

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Etymology of 楂

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

wood

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)查
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 楂?

Decomposition of 楂

IDS Structure⿰木查
楂Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
查cha2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 楂?

Write 楂

楂

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 楂

楂 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

小路上很多地方都长满了山____树。

Much of the track had become overgrown with hawthorn.

Example Sentences for 楂 (3)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
小路上很多地方都长满了山楂树。

xiǎo lù shàng hěn duō dì fāng dū cháng mǎn le shān zhā shù。

Much of the track had become overgrown with hawthorn.
2
于是他们怀着忐忑不安的心情, 穿过山楂丛,走下山坡.

yú shì tā mén huái zháo tǎn tè bù ān de xīn qíng, , chuān guò shān zhā, cóng , zǒu xià.

With beating hearts, they descended through the hawthorns.
3
一只布谷鸟开始在一株山楂树里咕咕地呼叫.

yī zhī bù gǔ niǎo kāi shǐ zài yī zhū shān zhā shù lǐ gū gū dì hū jiào.

A cuckoo began calling from a hawthorn tree.

Cultural Notes for 楂

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, trees like the hawthorn hold significant value, often associated with health benefits and culinary uses. The wood is also used in various crafts, reflecting the importance of nature in Chinese life.

Word Family of 楂

Words Containing This Character2
山楂rose hip (hawthorn fruit)
楂cháraft
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 山楂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 楂

While 楂 specifically refers to Chinese quince or hawthorn, other tree-related characters like 树 (shù) can mean any tree in general.