柏

栢

bǎi, bó, bò

木 + 白

Definitions

bǎi (noun) cypress; cedar

bó (noun) cypress; cedar

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 白 represents the sound. Simplified form of 栢.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 白

About

柏 is a phono-semantic compound with the tree radical 木 on the left indicating its meaning and the phonetic component 白 (white) on the right providing its pronunciation. It primarily denotes evergreen coniferous trees like cypress or cedar, valued for their aromatic wood and longevity. Their ability to stay green through winter led to symbolic associations with endurance and moral integrity, making them common in cemeteries and architecture. The character is also frequently used phonetically to transcribe foreign names.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

公园里有一棵柏树。

Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yī kē bǎishù.

There is a cypress tree in the park.

柏树的叶子是绿色的。

Bǎishù de yèzi shì lǜsè de.

The leaves of the cypress tree are green.

我们在柏树下乘凉。

Wǒmen zài bǎishù xià chéngliáng.

We are cooling off under the cypress tree.

这条马路铺了柏油。

Zhè tiáo mǎlù pū le bǎiyóu.

This road is paved with asphalt.

柏林是德国的首都。

Bólín shì Déguó de shǒudū.

Berlin is the capital of Germany.

松柏在冬天依然常青。

Sōngbǎi zài dōngtiān yīrán chángqīng.

Pine and cypress remain evergreen in winter.

他姓柏是一位著名的医生。

Tā xìng Bǎi shì yī wèi zhùmíng de yīshēng.

His surname is Bai and he is a famous doctor.

为了保护古柏政府制定了相关法规。

Wèile bǎohù gǔ bǎi zhèngfǔ zhìdìng le xiāngguān fǎguī.

To protect the ancient cypress trees the government has established relevant regulations.

Related Characters

Component: 木

Component: 白

柏