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檬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
檬ménga type of locust treex, 17 strokes, radical 木
檬ménglemonunknown, 17 strokes, radical 木
méng(meng2)meng T2
  1. 1a type of locust tree
  2. 2lemon
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March 24, 2026

檬méng(meng2)

The character 檬 (méng) refers to a type of locust tree, specifically associated with the genus Robinia. It is also used to denote lemon, particularly in regional contexts. This word is less common and may be encountered in specific botanical or culinary discussions.

Strokes17Radical木
Cultural note

In Chinese cuisine, lemons are not as commonly used as in Western cooking, but they are appreciated for their flavor in certain dishes and beverages. The locust tree also has cultural significance, as it is known for its durability and is often planted for shade.

Memory tip

Imagine a lemon tree with long, twisting branches resembling the shape of the character 檬. The top part (木) represents 'tree,' while the component (孟) can remind you of 'making lemon tea'—a vivid image to connect the character to its meanings and pronunciation.

Meanings of 檬

méng(meng2)
1a type of locust tree
2lemon
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 檬

檬Simplified
17Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 檬

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Podcast: 檬

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AI study notes for 檬

Usage Notes

This word is not frequently used in everyday conversation, so it may come across as formal or technical. Be careful to use it in the right botanical or culinary context to avoid confusion with more common words for lemon (柠檬 níngméng) or trees. Learners should also watch out for tone pronunciation, as the wrong tone can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

While 檬 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to HSK Level 4 vocabulary around nature and plants. Students should focus on learning related terms such as trees (树 shù) and fruits (水果 shuǐguǒ) to build contextual understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 檬 with more common characters like 柠 (níng) and use them interchangeably, leading to misunderstandings. For instance, saying '我喜欢吃檬' (I like to eat 檬) would be incorrect if referring to lemon, as it should be '我喜欢吃柠檬' (I like to eat lemon).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 檬

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Etymology of 檬

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

tree

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

Origin

檬 = 木 + 蒙. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 檬

IDS Structure⿰木蒙
檬Full character
=
木Mu4
left
蒙meng1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 檬?

How to say a type of locust tree in Chinese

“a type of locust tree” in Chinese is檬méng

The character 檬 (méng) refers to a type of locust tree, specifically associated with the genus Robinia. It is also used to denote lemon, particularly in regional contexts. This word is less common and may be encountered in specific botanical or culinary discussions.

When to use 檬

This word is not frequently used in everyday conversation, so it may come across as formal or technical. Be careful to use it in the right botanical or culinary context to avoid confusion with more common words for lemon (柠檬 níngméng) or trees. Learners should also watch out for tone pronunciation, as the wrong tone can change the meaning completely.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 檬 with more common characters like 柠 (níng) and use them interchangeably, leading to misunderstandings. For instance, saying '我喜欢吃檬' (I like to eat 檬) would be incorrect if referring to lemon, as it should be '我喜欢吃柠檬' (I like to eat lemon).

Write 檬

檬

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

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Grammar patterns of 檬

檬 carries 2 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 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

麦圭尔举起瓶子咕咚咕咚地喝了一大通苦柠____汁。

McGuire took a long swig from his bottle of bitter lemon.

Example sentences for 檬 (10)

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1
麦圭尔举起瓶子咕咚咕咚地喝了一大通苦柠檬汁。

mài guī ěr jǔ qǐ píngzi gū dōng gū dōng dì hē le yī dà tōng kǔ níng méng zhī。

McGuire took a long swig from his bottle of bitter lemon.
2
那里有两棵柠檬树,我不禁驻足品味柠檬的芬芳。

nàlǐ yǒu liǎng kē níng méng shù, wǒ bùjīn zhùzú pǐnwèi níng méng de fēnfāng。

There were two lemon trees and I paused to enjoy their perfume.
3
人们发现橙子、柠檬和酸橙能治疗坏血病。

rénmen fāxiàn chéngzi、 níng méng hé suān chéng néng zhìliáo huài xuè bìng。

Oranges, lemons and limes were found to cure scurvy.
4
试试用柠檬汁去除手指上的烟渍。

shì shìyòng níng méng zhī qùchú shǒuzhǐ shàng de yān zì。

Try using lemon juice to remove tobacco stains from your fingers.
5
柠檬汁和酸橙汁暂时都缺货。

níng méng zhī hé suān chéngzhī zànshí dōu quē huò。

Lemon and lime juice were both temporarily out of stock.
6
梅利莎像喝柠檬汽水一样大口地喝着加奎宁水的杜松子酒。

méi lì shā xiàng hē níng méng qìshuǐ yíyàng dà kǒu dì hē zhe jiā kuí níng shuǐ de dù sōng zi jiǔ。

Melissa had guzzled gin and tonics like they were lemonade.
7
把鹰嘴豆放在开水中煮,并加入大蒜和柠檬汁。

bǎ yīng zuǐ dòu fàng zài kāishuǐ zhōng zhǔ, bìng jiārù dà suàn hé níng méng zhī。

Boil the chick peas, add garlic and lemon juice.
8
从下面的花园里飘来一阵柠檬香.

cóng xiàmiàn de huāyuán lǐ piāo lái yízhèn níng méng xiāng.

A scent of lemon wafted up from the garden below.
9
入口处有两棵柠檬树.

rùkǒu chǔ yǒu liǎng kē níng méng shù.

Two lemons stand beside the entrance.
10
她渴极了,喝了4杯柠檬水.

tā kě jíle, hē le4 bēi níng méng shuǐ.

She is so thirsty she drinks four glasses of lemonade.

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Word Family of 檬

Words containing this character6
柠檬lemon檸檬
柠檬水lemonade檸檬水
檬ménglemon
柠檬汁lemon juice檸檬汁
柠檬酸citric acid檸檬酸
柠檬茶lemon tea檸檬茶
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 檬

What does 柠檬 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 檬

檬 (méng) specifically refers to a type of locust tree or lemon in certain contexts, while 柠檬 (níngméng) is the standard term for lemon in general.

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