杨 (yáng) - Poplar tree & aspen

杨Tone 2

yáng ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 木

嬿一

杨 · yáng

Poplar tree;

aspen;

a common Chinese surname;

also appears in place names.

Poplar treeaspena common Chinese surname

Usage highlights

Poplar treeWillowSurname YangYangtze RiverYangzhou cityAspen

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 柳— willow (different tree species)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The poplar tree (杨树) stands tall in the wind.
  • His surname is Yang (姓杨).
  • We visited Yangzhou (扬州) last summer.
  • The willow (杨柳) sways gently by the river.

Collocations

  • Poplar tree(杨树)
  • Willow(杨柳)
  • Surname Yang(杨姓)
  • Yangtze River(扬子江 - note different character)
  • Yangzhou city(扬州)
  • Aspen(白杨)

Idioms

  • Willows dark and flowers bright(柳暗花明)
  • The poplar and cypress endure the cold(松柏后凋 - though not directly about poplar, shows tree symbolism)
  • Willow branches and poplar flowers(杨柳依依)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most common Chinese surnames, ranking 6th in population.
  • Historically associated with the state of Yang during the Zhou dynasty.
  • Poplar trees symbolize resilience and upright character in Chinese culture.
  • The character appears in many place names across China.

FAQ