桂 (guì) is a Chinese character meaning “osmanthus (sweet-scented flower tree)”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “osmanthus”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 圭
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：桂，从木圭声；现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰木圭；笔画核验 木4 + 圭6 = 10）
Memory aid
A tree (木) standing beside a jade tablet (圭) — a precious tree: the fragrant osmanthus.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 桂花guì huāosmanthus flower桂 = guì
- 桂林Guì línGuilin (city in Guangxi)桂 = guì
Go deeper
All readings
osmanthus; cassia
osmanthus (sweet-scented flower tree); cassia / cinnamon tree; short name for Guangxi
桂树，常指桂花树（木樨），也指肉桂；又是广西的简称。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 桂花guì huāosmanthus flower桂 = guì
- 桂林Guì línGuilin (city in Guangxi)桂 = guì
Sound component
圭 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 桂 mean?
桂 (guì) means osmanthus (sweet-scented flower tree); cassia / cinnamon tree; short name for Guangxi.
How do you pronounce 桂?
It is pronounced guì.
What parts is 桂 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：桂，从木圭声；现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰木圭；笔画核验 木4 + 圭6 = 10）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 桂 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 桂?
木. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 桂?
Common ones are 桂花 and 桂林. The reading of 桂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.