松 (sōng) is a Chinese character meaning “pine tree”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 公 (public; common; fair), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “pine; loose, relaxed”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 公
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字（松，松木也。从木，公聲）；并经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画分解核验：前四笔为木，后四笔为公，⿰木公
Memory aid
A tree (木) in the public (公) square. The pine keeps its needles all winter and never tenses up — it just stands there, loose and relaxed.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 轻松qīng sōngrelaxed; easy; light松 = sōngHSK 3
- 松树sōng shùpine tree松 = sōng
- 松弛sōng chíslack; loose; relaxed松 = sōng
- 松柏sōng bǎipine and cypress; evergreens (a symbol of steadfastness)松 = sōng
Go deeper
All readings
pine; loose
pine tree; loose; slack; not tight; to relax; to loosen
松树，常绿乔木。也指不紧、不密，或使紧张的状态放松下来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 轻松qīng sōngrelaxed; easy; light松 = sōngHSK 3
- 松树sōng shùpine tree松 = sōng
- 松弛sōng chíslack; loose; relaxed松 = sōng
- 松柏sōng bǎipine and cypress; evergreens (a symbol of steadfastness)松 = sōng
Sound component
公 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 松 mean?
松 (sōng) means pine tree; loose; slack; not tight; to relax; to loosen.
How do you pronounce 松?
It is pronounced sōng.
What parts is 松 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 公 (public; common; fair), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字（松，松木也。从木，公聲）；并经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画分解核验：前四笔为木，后四笔为公，⿰木公. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 松 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 松?
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 松?
Common ones are 轻松, 松树, 松弛. The reading of 松 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.