柳
柳·willow
- On-yomi
- リュウ
- Kun-yomi
- やなぎ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 柳 | やなぎ | willow |
| 川柳 | せんりゅう | senryu, comic seventeen-syllable verse |
| 猫柳 | ねこやなぎ | pussy willow |
| 柳腰 | やなぎごし | slender, supple waist |
Example sentences
池のそばで柳が揺れている。
いけのそばでやなぎがゆれている。
A willow is swaying beside the pond.
新聞の川柳の欄をいつも読む。
しんぶんのせんりゅうのらんをいつもよむ。
I always read the senryu column in the newspaper.
彼は批判を柳に風と受け流した。
かれはひはんをやなぎにかぜとうけながした。
He let the criticism pass like wind through a willow.
Common mistakes
- Reading 川柳 as かわやなぎ — the verse form is せんりゅう
- The on-reading リュウ appears almost only in 川柳
Memory aid
Picture it
Tree 木 with 卯 — a tree whose branches hang loose and sway rather than standing stiff.
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 柳 mean?