橘 jú tangerine
tangerine; orange
How to remember 橘: 木 tree + 矛 spear + 冏 window = tangerine. Grandpa climbs the tree, swings a stick like a spear at the branch by the kitchen window, and down drops a ripe tangerine.
Component breakdown
橘 = 木 tree + 矞
- 木 tree
- 矞
- 矛 spear
- 冏 window
Grandpa climbs the tree, swings a stick like a spear at the branch by the kitchen window, and down drops a ripe tangerine.
How it is used
- Bound morpheme, essentially only seen in 橘子 júzi, the everyday word for mandarin orange/tangerine.
- 橘子 has thin, loose, easy-to-peel skin and separates into segments by hand - the fruit-shopping and eating context where you'll hear it most.
- Contrast with 橙子 chéngzi (below): the two fruits look similar to English speakers but Chinese treats them as clearly distinct, with different skins and different words - don't use them interchangeably.