桑 (sāng) is a Chinese character meaning “mulberry tree”. It is written from 叒 (three 又 stacked (one on top, two below); the upper part of 桑) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “mulberry”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
叒 + 木
Top–bottom structure
- 叒 three 又 stacked (one on top, two below); the upper part of 桑 · ruò meaning
- 木 tree; wood · mù meaning
Structure from: 说文解字·叒部：桑，蠶所食葉木。从叒、木。构形经 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：10 笔，上部「叒」6 笔（笔 0–5），下部「木」4 笔（笔 6–9）
Memory aid
Picture a crowd of hands (叒) reaching up over a tree (木), stripping its leaves to feed silkworms — that busy tree is the mulberry.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 桑树sāng shùmulberry tree桑 = sāng
- 沧桑cāng sāngthe changes of life; vicissitudes桑 = sāng
Go deeper
All readings
mulberry
mulberry tree; mulberry (whose leaves feed silkworms)
桑树，落叶乔木，叶子可以喂蚕。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 桑树sāng shùmulberry tree桑 = sāng
- 沧桑cāng sāngthe changes of life; vicissitudes桑 = sāng
Origin
The Shuowen Jiezi defines 桑 as the tree whose leaves silkworms eat, and analyses it as made of 叒 over 木 ("tree"). The modern form keeps both parts: 叒 on top, 木 below.
Source: 说文解字·叒部：桑，蠶所食葉木。从叒、木
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 桑 mean?
桑 (sāng) means mulberry tree; mulberry (whose leaves feed silkworms).
How do you pronounce 桑?
It is pronounced sāng.
What parts is 桑 made of?
叒 (three 又 stacked (one on top, two below); the upper part of 桑) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·叒部：桑，蠶所食葉木。从叒、木。构形经 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：10 笔，上部「叒」6 笔（笔 0–5），下部「木」4 笔（笔 6–9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 桑 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 桑?
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 桑?
Common ones are 桑树 and 沧桑. The reading of 桑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.