桂

guì

圭 + 木

Definitions

guì (noun) cassia; laurel tree

Guì (noun) Guangxi (autonomous region)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 圭 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 圭

About

桂 is a phono-semantic compound: the 木 radical on the left conveys the meaning 'tree' or 'wood', while the 圭 component on the right provides the pronunciation. The character primarily refers to the osmanthus tree, cassia, or cinnamon tree, all renowned for their fragrant bark and flowers. It appears often in botanical and culinary settings, and it doubles as the standard abbreviation for Guangxi in southern China, a name derived from the historical Guilin prefecture, which literally translates to 'osmanthus forest'.

Etymology Hide

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 Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我闻到桂花香。

Wǒ wén dào guìhuā xiāng.

I smell the scent of osmanthus.

桂花茶很好喝。

Guìhuā chá hěn hǎo hē.

Osmanthus tea is very delicious.

妈妈买了桂圆干。

Māma mǎi le guìyuán gān.

Mom bought dried longan.

广西的桂林很美丽。

Guǎngxī de Guìlín hěn měilì.

Guilin in Guangxi is very beautiful.

桂花糕是传统点心。

Guìhuā gāo shì chuántǒng diǎnxīn.

Osmanthus cake is a traditional dessert.

桂枝可以用来做中药。

Guìzhī kěyǐ yòng lái zuò zhōngyào.

Cassia twigs can be used to make Chinese medicine.

桂皮是一种常见的香料。

Guìpí shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn de xiāngliào.

Cinnamon bark is a common spice.

秋天的时候，桂花盛开，香气扑鼻。

Qiūtiān de shíhou, guìhuā shèngkāi, xiāngqì pūbí.

In autumn, osmanthus flowers bloom, and the fragrance wafts through the air.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 圭

Component: 木

桂