The character 松 — “pine”: how to write it and what it means

松
sōng

pine; loose

8 strokes · HSK 4 · word page

The Chinese character 松 is read sōng and means “pine; loose”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 松

松 has 8 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 松, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 松 is made of

On the left, 木 “tree”; on the right, 公 gōng hints at the sound. The first meaning is pine.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 松

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 松?

松 has 8 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 松 mean?

松 means “pine; loose”. It appears in 轻松 (“easy”), 放松 (“relax”).

How do you pronounce 松?

松 is read sōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 松 have?

8 strokes.

← 愉 joyful奋 be inspired →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 松 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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