扶桑 (Fú sāng) — (mythological) fabled mulberry tree where the sun rises; poetic name for Japan; Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), rose mallow

Definition

扶桑 (Fú sāng) is a literary proper noun with two distinct senses: mythologically, the fabled mulberry tree of the rising sun, and by extension a poetic name for Japan. The homophonous 朱槿 (zhūjǐng) is the more common name for the hibiscus plant.

noun
(mythological) fabled mulberry tree where the sun risespoetic name for JapanChinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)rose mallow
Measure word · 棵
Easily confused

Examples

  • 扶桑。
    Zhè kē Fú sāng kāi chū le xiān hóng de huā duǒ.
    This hibiscus has bloomed bright red flowers.
  • ，扶桑。
    Zài gǔ dài wén xiàn zhōng, Fú sāng cháng zhǐ rì běn.
    In ancient texts, Fusang often refers to Japan.
  • 扶桑，。
    Fú sāng De huā qī hěn cháng, kě yǐ cóng xià tiān kāi dào qiū tiān.
    The Chinese hibiscus has a long blooming period, from summer to autumn.

Origin

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夫
夫fū扶fú
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand, matching actions like helping or supporting. The right part 夫 gives the sound fū.

Open 扶 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

桑 is a picture of a mulberry tree, with its upper part drawn as the tree's foliage.

Open 桑 →

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