榆 (yú) — elm (as a bound form, used in compounds for the elm tree or its wood)

Definition

A bound-form tree name: 榆 almost never stands alone and appears in compounds like 榆树 (elm tree) and 榆木 (elm wood). It also names the elm samaras (榆钱), eaten as a spring snack in northern China.

bound form
elm (as a bound form, used in compounds for the elm tree or its wood)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè kē yú shù yǐ jīng yǒu èr shí nián le.
    This elm tree is already twenty years old.
  • 榆。
    Tā yòng yú mù zuò le yì zhāng jiē shi de zhuō zi.
    He made a sturdy table using elm wood.
  • ，榆。
    Chūn tiān de shí hou, hái zi men xǐ huan zhāi yú qián chī.
    In spring, children like to pick and eat elm samaras.

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
俞
俞yú榆yú
Same sound today

榆 is built from 木, a tree, and 俞, which gives the sound yú.

Appears in
Trees & Forest

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