桑梓

Chinese

		mulberry tree	Catalpa kaempferi
trad. (桑梓)		桑	梓
simp. #(桑梓)		桑	梓

Etymology

桑 (sāng, “mulberry”) and 梓 (zǐ, “Catalpa ovata, Chinese catalpa”) used to be commonly planted next to residences, and have been used as a metonym for one's birthplace since the Eastern Han.

桑梓二木，古者五畝之宅，樹之墻下，以遺子孫……桑梓，父母所植。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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桑梓二木，古者五亩之宅，树之墙下，以遗子孙……桑梓，父母所植。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhu Xi, Commentaries on the Book of Odes

Sāng zǐ èr mù, gǔ zhě wǔmǔzhīzhái, shù zhī qiáng xià, yǐ wèi zǐsūn...... Sāng zǐ, fùmǔ suǒ zhí. [Pinyin]

In ancient times, two types of trees, sāng and zǐ, were planted along the walls of the house as a bestowment to the next generation... Sāng and zǐ – it was the parents who planted them.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sāngzǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄤ ㄗˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): song¹ zi²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): song-chír / song-chú / song-chí

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sāngzǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄤ ㄗˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sangzǐh
    • Wade–Giles: sang¹-tzŭ³
    • Yale: sāng-dž
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sangtzyy
    • Palladius: санцзы (sanczy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 桑子 桑梓

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: song¹ zi²
    • Yale: sōng jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: song¹ dzi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: song¹ ji²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: song-chír
    • Tâi-lô: song-tsír
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɔŋ³³ t͡sɯ⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: song-chú
    • Tâi-lô: song-tsú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: songzuo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡su⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡su⁵³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡su⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: song-chí
    • Tâi-lô: song-tsí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: songcie
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡si⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡si⁵³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /sɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡si⁵³/

Noun

桑梓

1. (literary, figurative) hometown; birthplace

   Synonym: 枌榆 (fényú)