柳 (liǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “willow”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 卯 (open gates; the fourth earthly branch, used here as a shape unit), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “willow”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 卯
Left–right structure
- 木 tree; wood · mù meaning
- 卯 open gates; the fourth earthly branch, used here as a shape unit · mǎo sound
Structure from: 说文解字「柳，小楊也。从木丣聲」；IDS 拆分 ⿰木卯，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「木」，笔画 4–8 与「卯」逐笔对应（4+5=9 画）。现代右部写作「卯」，与说文所记声符「丣」字形已不同，故声符一致度记为 diverged。
Memory aid
木 on the left tells you it is a tree. The right side is written 卯 — but do not trust it for the sound: 卯 is mǎo while this tree is liǔ. Picture 卯 as two open gates, with long willow branches trailing down between them.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 杨柳yáng liǔwillow; willows (poplars and willows)柳 = liǔ
- 柳条liǔ tiáowillow twig; willow withe (used for weaving baskets)柳 = liǔ
Go deeper
All readings
willow
willow; willow tree, whose slender branches hang down; also a surname
落叶树，枝条细长下垂，早春先开花后长叶；也用作姓。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 杨柳yáng liǔwillow; willows (poplars and willows)柳 = liǔ
- 柳条liǔ tiáowillow twig; willow withe (used for weaving baskets)柳 = liǔ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 柳 mean?
柳 (liǔ) means willow; willow tree, whose slender branches hang down; also a surname.
How do you pronounce 柳?
It is pronounced liǔ.
What parts is 柳 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 卯 (open gates; the fourth earthly branch, used here as a shape unit), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字「柳，小楊也。从木丣聲」；IDS 拆分 ⿰木卯，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「木」，笔画 4–8 与「卯」逐笔对应（4+5=9 画）。现代右部写作「卯」，与说文所记声符「丣」字形已不同，故声符一致度记为 diverged。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 柳 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 柳?
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 柳?
Common ones are 杨柳 and 柳条. The reading of 柳 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.