松

鬆

sōng

公 + 木

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

sōng (noun) pine tree

sōng (adjective) loose; relaxed

sōng (verb) to loosen; to relax

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 公 represents the sound. In simplified Chinese this character also means "relax, loosen", but in traditional Chinese this meaning is written as 鬆.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 公

About

The character 松 serves two distinct purposes with different origins. As a word for pine tree, it is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 木 (tree/wood) indicates category, while the phonetic component 公 (public) suggests pronunciation. The traditional character for "loose" or "relaxed" is 髮, composed of the semantic 髟 (hair) and the phonetic 松. Simplification merged 髮 into 松, so the modern character carries both meanings: a coniferous tree and the state of being unfastened, the latter originally evoking imagery of untied hair.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

松树长在山上。

Sōngshù zhǎng zài shān shàng.

The pine tree grows on the mountain.

请把螺丝拧松一点。

Qǐng bǎ luósī nǐng sōng yīdiǎn.

Please loosen the screw a little.

考试结束后我很放松。

Kǎoshì jiéshù hòu wǒ hěn fàngsōng.

I felt very relaxed after the exam ended.

他轻松地回答了所有问题。

Tā qīngsōng de huídále suǒyǒu wèntí.

He answered all the questions easily.

松软的蛋糕非常好吃。

Sōngruǎn de dàngāo fēichīng hào chī.

The fluffy cake is very delicious.

政策松动带来了新机会。

Zhèngcè sōngdòng dài láile xīn jīhuì.

The loosening of the policy brought new opportunities.

工作了一周，周末该松驰一下了。

Gōngzuòle yī zhōu, zhōumò gāi sōngchí yīxiàle.

After working for a week, it's time to unwind on the weekend.

这片松林的保护工作很严格。

Zhè piàn sōnglín de bǎohù gōngzuò hěn yángé.

The protection work for this pine forest is very strict.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 公

Component: 木

松