梅 (méi) is a Chinese character meaning “plum (Prunus mume)”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 每 (every; each), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “plum”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 每
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 梅，枏也。可食。从木每声 + hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验
Memory aid
A tree (木) on the left, 每 (every) on the right — every winter, this tree still blooms: the plum.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 梅花méi huāplum blossom梅 = méi
- 杨梅yáng méiChinese bayberry; waxberry梅 = méi
Go deeper
All readings
plum
plum (Prunus mume); plum blossom; also used in names of some berries such as 杨梅 (Chinese bayberry)
梅树，落叶乔木，早春开花，果实味酸；也指梅花。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 梅花méi huāplum blossom梅 = méi
- 杨梅yáng méiChinese bayberry; waxberry梅 = méi
Sound component
每 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 梅 mean?
梅 (méi) means plum (Prunus mume); plum blossom; also used in names of some berries such as 杨梅 (Chinese bayberry).
How do you pronounce 梅?
It is pronounced méi.
What parts is 梅 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 每 (every; each), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 梅，枏也。可食。从木每声 + hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 梅 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 梅?
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 梅?
Common ones are 梅花 and 杨梅. The reading of 梅 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.