榛 (zhēn) — (bound form) hazel (tree or nut)

Definition

榛 (zhēn) is a bound form meaning 'hazel' — it never stands alone and is always paired with 子 (nut) or 树 (tree). You'll meet it in compound words like 榛子 (hazelnut) and 榛树 (hazel tree).

bound form
hazel (tree or nut)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ zuì xǐ huan chī zhēn zi qiǎo kè lì.
    I love eating hazelnut chocolate the most.
  • 榛。
    Zhè piàn shān shàng zhǎng mǎn le zhēn shù.
    This mountain is covered with hazel trees.
  • 。
    zhēn Zi de yíng yǎng jià zhí hěn gāo.
    Hazelnuts have high nutritional value.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
秦
秦qín榛zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

榛 is built from 木 (tree) and 秦, which provides the sound qín.

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