Definitions
(noun)
jujube; date (fruit)
Etymology
Simplified form of 棗. Pictograph of a date tree.
About
The character for the jujube tree and its fruit, now commonly seen in the simplified form "枣", derives from the traditional character "棗", which is itself composed of two identical components "朿" stacked vertically, a pictographic element representing thorns or spines that aptly illustrates the plant's prickly branches. This duplicated structure was not merely decorative but served to highlight the repetitive, dense growth of thorns characteristic of the tree. Over time, the character's form underwent a process of graphical condensation, where the two "朿" were merged and stylized into the more compact "枣", simplifying the brush strokes while retaining the essential allusion to its thorny origin. Semantically, the character has maintained a stable reference to the jujube since its inception, with no major shift in its meaning, as its evolution has been predominantly morphological, focused on easing the act of writing without altering its fundamental representation.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢吃红枣。
枣子是一种很健康的水果。
妈妈用枣做了美味的蛋糕。
奶奶的院子里有一棵枣树。
这包新疆大枣非常香甜。
枣树的叶子在秋天变黄。
采摘园里可以亲自摘枣子。
这棵老枣树每年结的枣都特别甜。