Definitions

sāng (noun) mulberry tree

Etymology

Depicts the leaves of a mulberry tree (). The leaves from a mulberry tree were the food silkworms would eat.

About

The character 桑, representing the mulberry tree, derives from an early pictographic concept of a tree adorned with dense foliage, specifically linked to the cultivation of mulberry leaves for sericulture. Its structural composition places three instances of the component 又 above the wooden element 木, visually conveying the abundance of leaves on the tree. While its fundamental meaning has consistently centered on the mulberry plant, over time it has expanded into literary and figurative uses, most notably in the classical expression 沧海桑田 where 桑 evokes mulberry fields and, by extension, the notion of profound transformation. The character's form has remained stable in its construction, preserving this illustrative design across historical usage.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我家有一棵树。

Wǒ jiā yǒu yī kē sāng shù.

My family has a mulberry tree.

叶可以用来喂蚕。

Sāng yè kě yǐ yòng lái wèi cán.

Mulberry leaves can be used to feed silkworms.

葚的味道很甜美。

Sāng shèn de wèi dào hěn tián měi.

Mulberries taste very sweet.

孩子们在树下玩耍。

Háizi men zài sāng shù xià wánshuǎ.

The children are playing under the mulberry tree.

这家酒店的拿设施很齐全。

Zhè jiā jiǔdiàn de sāng ná shèshī hěn qíquán.

This hotel's sauna facilities are very complete.

农民们正在采摘叶。

Nóngmín men zhèngzài cǎizhāi sāng yè.

The farmers are picking mulberry leaves.

树的生长需要充足的阳光。

Sāng shù de shēngzhǎng xūyào chōngzú de yángguāng.

The growth of mulberry trees requires ample sunlight.

在古代,蚕业非常重要。

Zài gǔdài, sāng cán yè fēicháng zhòngyào.

In ancient times, the sericulture industry was very important.