菩提树 (pú tí shù) — bodhi tree, peepul tree (Ficus religiosa)

Definition

A type of sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa), known in English as the bodhi, peepul, or pipal tree. In Buddhism it is the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, so it often appears in temple contexts.

noun
bodhi treepeepul tree (Ficus religiosa)
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 菩提树。
    Fó zǔ zài pú tí shù xià wù dào chéng fó.
    The Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree.
  • 菩提树。
    Sì miào lǐ zhǒng le yì kē gǔ lǎo de pú tí shù.
    An ancient bodhi tree was planted in the temple.
  • 菩提树。
    pú tí shù De yè zi shì xīn xíng de.
    The leaves of the bodhi tree are heart-shaped.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

菩提bodhi
菩pú提tí
音译Transliteration
树shùtree

菩提 spells the Sanskrit name and 树 marks the plant, so it names the bodhi tree.

Characters in this word

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu菩
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

菩 is made from 艹 (grass) and 咅, which gives the sound.

Open 菩 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì提tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

提 shows 扌 (hand) beside 是, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 提 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樹; 树 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
尌
尌shù樹shù
Same sound today

Originally 尌, 'to plant a tree', was written alone; the traditional form 樹 adds 木, 'tree', to it to differentiate.

Open 树 →

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