柳 means “willow”

やなぎ · yanagi

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

やなぎ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

リュウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

A tree (木) beside 卯, two halves hanging apart like parted strands: the willow. Ghosts in old prints appear under willows, 柳の下にいつもどじょうはいない says luck doesn't strike twice in the same spot, and 川柳 are witty 5-7-5 verses.

Used in 柳 (yanagi, willow) and 川柳 (senryuu, comic 5-7-5 verse)

More from Trees & Blossoms

• 梅 Japanese plum
• 菊 chrysanthemum
• 梨 pear
• 葛 kudzu
• 桑 mulberry
• 柿 persimmon
• 桃 peach
• 茎 stem
• 萎 wilt
• 藤 wisteria
• 松 pine
• 芝 lawn

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

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