樗
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: simaroubaceae
💡 Think 'choo-choo train made of rotten wood'—樗 wood is weak and stinky.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
樗 (chū) refers to the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), a fast-growing but often despised tree due to its foul smell and weak wood. In Chinese culture, it symbolizes uselessness and mediocrity, famously used in the philosopher Zhuangzi to illustrate the value of being 'useless'—a tree left unharmed because it's good for nothing, reflecting Daoist ideas of embracing insignificance.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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