松 means “pine”

まつ · matsu

Also: pine tree

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まつ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 8 strokes

The story

A tree (木) beside 公, public: picture the old pine that shades the town square. Evergreen pines stand for long life: 門松 frame doorways at New Year, and menus rank their sets 松, 竹, 梅, with pine at the top.

Used in 松 (matsu, pine), 門松 (kadomatsu, New Year's gate pines), and 松竹梅 (shouchikubai, pine, bamboo and plum grades)

More from Trees & Blossoms

• 芝 lawn
• 杉 Japanese cedar
• 柳 willow
• 梅 Japanese plum
• 菊 chrysanthemum
• 梨 pear
• 葛 kudzu
• 桑 mulberry
• 柿 persimmon
• 桃 peach
• 茎 stem
• 萎 wilt

Learn 松 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.