[Day 5] 木 - tree / wood

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[Day 5] 木 - tree / wood

The character 木 originally pictured a simple tree: a vertical trunk with branches. From that pictographic origin it carries the core meanings “tree” and “wood,” and it also works as a semantic component in many plant- or wood-related characters. You’ll see 木 in everyday contexts: as the noun for a tree, in compound words for wood or wooden objects, and even in the name of a weekday (木曜日, Thursday). As a radical it appears in characters related to plants and growth. Readings: On'yomi (Chinese-derived readings) and Kun'yomi (native Japanese reading) are both important for 木. A simple mnemonic: imagine a trunk (the vertical stroke) and two branches (the diagonal strokes) — that picture is the core meaning, and the easy Kun reading "き" is how you usually say “tree” in conversation.

Readings

On'yomi: **モク**, **ボク** (moku, boku) Kun'yomi: **き** (ki)

Related words

• 木 (き, ki) — tree • その庭に大きな**木**があります。 (Sono niwa ni ookina ki ga arimasu. — There's a big tree in the garden.)

• 木曜日 (もくようび, mokuyoubi) — Thursday • **木曜日**に映画を見に行きます。 (Mokuyoubi ni eiga o mi ni ikimasu. — I'll go to see a movie on Thursday.)

• 木材 (もくざい, mokuzai) — timber; lumber • この机は良い**木材**で作られています。 (Kono tsukue wa yoi mokuzai de tsukurarete imasu. — This desk is made from good timber.)

• 木製 (もくせい, mokusei) — wooden; made of wood • その箱は**木製**で、とても丈夫です。 (Sono hako wa mokusei de, totemo joubu desu. — That box is wooden and very sturdy.)

• 木の実 (きのみ, kinomi) — nut; fruit of a tree • リスが**木の実**を集めている。 (Risu ga kinomi o atsumete iru. — A squirrel is collecting nuts.)