桂

桂 U+6842, 桂 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6842 ← 桁 [U+6841] CJK Unified Ideographs 桃 → [U+6843]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

桂 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+6, 10 strokes, cangjie input 木土土 (DGG), four-corner 4491₄, composition ⿰木圭)

Derived characters

• 𠺺, 溎, 𥉯, 蓕, 𭵣

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 525, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14755
• Dae Jaweon: page 913, character 5
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1193, character 5
• Unihan data for U+6842

Chinese

simp. and trad.		桂

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (圭) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
街	*kreː, *kreː
鞋	*ɡreː, *ɡreː, *ɡreː
娾	*ŋreː, *ŋreːʔ
佳	*kreː
鮭	*ɡreː, *kʷeː, *kʰʷeː
涯	*ŋreː, *ŋre
崖	*ŋreː, *ŋre
啀	*ŋreː
厓	*ŋreː
捱	*ŋreː
睚	*ŋreːs
娃	*qreː
洼	*qreː, *qʷraː, *kʷeː
哇	*qreː, *qʷraː
胿	*ɡeː, *kʷeː
溎	*qeːns
觟	*ɡʷraːʔ
黊	*ɡʷraːʔ, *ɡʷreːs, *ɡʷeː
蘳	*ɡʷraːʔ, *qʰʷe
蛙	*qʷraː, *qʷreː
窪	*qʷraː
卦	*kʷreːs
挂	*kʷreːs
掛	*kʷreːs
詿	*kʷreːs, *ɡʷreːs
罣	*kʷreːs, *ɡʷreːs, *kʷeːs
絓	*kʰʷreː, *ɡʷreːs
鼃	*ɢʷreː, *qʷreː
圭	*kʷeː
珪	*kʷeː
邽	*kʷeː
閨	*kʷeː
袿	*kʷeː
窐	*kʷeː, *ɡʷeː
茥	*kʷeː, *kʰʷeː
桂	*kʷeːs
筀	*kʷeːs
奎	*kʰʷeː
刲	*kʰʷeː
蝰	*kʰʷeː
楏	*kʰʷeː
睳	*qʰʷeː
畦	*ɡʷeː
眭	*ɡʷeː, *sqʰʷe, *qʰʷe, *qʰʷi
烓	*qʷeː, *kʰʷeːŋʔ
跬	*kʰʷeʔ
恚	*qʷes
硅	*qʰʷreɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷeːs) : semantic 木 + phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː).

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guì (gui⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gwai³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kui

  (Meixian, Guangdong): gui⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): gié
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kùi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gui³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guì
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guèi
    • Wade–Giles: kuei⁴
    • Yale: gwèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guey
    • Palladius: гуй (guj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gwai³
    • Yale: gwai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gwai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: guei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷɐi̯³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kui
    • Hakka Romanization System: gui
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gui⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ku̯i⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: gui⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kuɪ⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gié
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiɛ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kùi
    • Tâi-lô: kuì
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kuix
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kui²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kui⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kui²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kui¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kui²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gui³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kùi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kui²¹³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 桂
Mandarin	Beijing	/kuei⁵¹/
	Harbin	/kuei⁵³/
	Tianjin	/kuei⁵³/
	Jinan	/kuei²¹/
	Qingdao	/kue⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/kuei³¹²/
	Xi'an	/kuei⁴⁴/
	Xining	/kuɨ²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/kuei¹³/
	Lanzhou	/kuei¹³/
	Ürümqi	/kuei²¹³/
	Wuhan	/kuei³⁵/
	Chengdu	/kuei¹³/
	Guiyang	/kuei²¹³/
	Kunming	/kuei²¹²/
	Nanjing	/kuəi⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/kue⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/kuei⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/kuei³⁵/
	Hohhot	/kuei⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/kue³⁵/
	Suzhou	/kue̞⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/kui⁴⁴⁵/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕy⁴²/
Hui	Shexian	/kue³²⁴/
	Tunxi	/t͡ɕye⁴²/
Xiang	Changsha	/kuei⁵⁵/
	Xiangtan	/kuəi⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/kui⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/kui⁵³/
	Taoyuan	/kui⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kwɐi³³/
	Nanning	/kʷɐi³³/
	Hong Kong	/kwɐi³³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kui²¹/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kiɛ²¹²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/ky³³/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kui²¹³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/kui³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: kwejH

Rime
Character	桂
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	齊 (40)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	古惠切
Baxter	kwejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kweiH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷeiH/
Shao Rongfen	/kuɛiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwɛjH/
Li Rong	/kueiH/
Wang Li	/kiweiH/
Bernard Karlgren	/kiweiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gwai3

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʷeːs/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	桂
Reading #	1/1
No.	4579
Phonetic component	圭
Rime group	支
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	桂
Old Chinese	/*kʷeːs/

Definitions

桂

1. osmanthus; sweet osmanthus
2. cassia; Chinese cinnamon

   • 蒙舍蠻以椒、薑、桂和烹而飲之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     蒙舍蛮以椒、姜、桂和烹而饮之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tang Dynasty, Fan Chuo, Manshu, chapter 7, part 7

     Méngshè Mán yǐ jiāo, jiāng, guì hé pēng ér yǐn zhī. [Pinyin]

     The Mengshe Barbarians use pepper, ginger, and cinnamon to boil as a drink.

3. true cinnamon; Saigon cinnamon; Indonesian cinnamon
4. laurel; bay laurel
5. of or relating to Guilin, Guangxi, or the region of the Gui River
6. a surname

Compounds

• 丹桂 (dānguì)
• 吳剛伐桂／吴刚伐桂
• 折桂 (zhéguì)
• 折桂攀蟾
• 攀仙桂
• 攀桂
• 攀桂客
• 攀蟾折桂
• 月中折桂
• 月中桂
• 月桂 (yuèguì)
• 月桂冠 (yuèguìguān)
• 月桂樹／月桂树 (yuèguìshù)
• 木桂
• 杭桂 (Hángguì)
• 桂冠 (guìguān)
• 桂冠詩人／桂冠诗人
• 桂劇／桂剧 (guìjù)
• 桂圓／桂圆 (guìyuán)
• 桂圓肉／桂圆肉 (guìyuánròu)
• 桂堂
• 桂子
• 桂子蘭孫／桂子兰孙
• 桂子飄香／桂子飘香
• 桂宮／桂宫
• 桂宮柏寢／桂宫柏寝
• 桂山 (Guìshān)
• 桂戲／桂戏
• 桂旗
• 桂月 (guìyuè)
• 桂林 (Guìlín)
• 桂枝 (guìzhī)
• 桂林一枝
• 桂棟／桂栋
• 桂棹
• 桂樹／桂树
• 桂水
• 桂江
• 桂海
• 桂漿／桂浆
• 桂父
• 桂王
• 桂皮 (guìpí)
• 桂皮酸
• 桂秋
• 桂窟
• 桂竹 (guìzhú)
• 桂竹香
• 桂籍
• 桂舟
• 桂花 (guìhuā)
• 桂花糕
• 桂花茶 (guìhuā chá)
• 桂花酒 (guìhuājiǔ)
• 桂花醬／桂花酱
• 桂蠹
• 桂輪／桂轮
• 桂酒
• 桂陽／桂阳 (Guìyáng)
• 桂馥蘭芳／桂馥兰芳
• 桂魄 (guìpò)
• 桂魚／桂鱼 (guìyú)
• 炊桂
• 爨桂炊玉
• 米珠薪桂
• 肉桂 (ròuguì)
• 菌桂
• 薑桂／姜桂
• 薪桂米珠
• 薑桂老辣／姜桂老辣 (jiāngguìlǎolà)
• 藏桂 (Cángguì)
• 蘭桂／兰桂
• 蘭桂騰芳／兰桂腾芳
• 蘭桂齊芳／兰桂齐芳
• 蘭薰桂馥／兰薰桂馥
• 蟾宮折桂／蟾宫折桂 (chángōngzhéguì)
• 蟾桂
• 銀桂／银桂
• 食玉炊桂

 

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 桂 – see 鱖 (“mandarin fish; Chinese perch”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 鱖).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

桂

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

1. the katsura, the Japanese Judas tree
2. the cinnamon or cassia tree
3. the sweet osmanthus tree

Readings

• Go-on: かい (kai)^{←くわい (kwai, historical)}
• Kan-on: けい (kei)^{←けい (kei, historical)←くゑい (kwei, ancient)}
• Kun: かつら (katsura, 桂); めかつら (mekatsura, 桂)
• Nanori: か (ka); かつ (katsu); よし (yoshi)

Compounds

Compounds

• 丹(たん)桂(けい) (tankei, “golden osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans)”)
• 桂(けい)子(こ) (Keiko): a female given name
• 桂(かつら)飴(あめ) (katsurāme): a type of sweet traditionally sold in villages in the mountains around Kyōto Prefecture
• 桂(かつら)鮎(あゆ) (katsurāyu): ayu (sweetfish) caught in the Katsura River in Kyōto
• 桂(けい)庵(あん) (keian): a mediary in an arranged marriage or in a lawsuit; a hiring placement specialist
• 桂(けい)園(えん) (Keien): pseudonym for 香川景樹 (Kagawa Kageki), a poet during the late Edo Period
• 桂(けい)園(えん)一(いっ)枝(し) (Keien Isshi): a private anthology of poetry printed towards the end of the Edo Period
• 桂(けい)園(えん)派(は) (Keienha): a style of 和歌 (waka) poetry, founded by 香川景樹 (Kagawa Kageki)
• 桂(かつら)科(か) (katsuraka): the Cercidiphyllaceae family, containing only the Cercidiphyllum genus, containing only the two species Cercidiphyllum japonicum and Cercidiphyllum magnificum, both commonly called 桂 (katsura)
• 桂(けい)花(か) (keika), 桂華(けいか) (keika): (metaphor) the moon, from a Chinese legend of trees growing on the moon
• 桂(けい)冠(かん) (keikan): a laurel wreath
• 桂(けい)冠(かん)詩(し)人(じん) (keikan shijin): a poet laureate
• 桂(かつら)巻(まき) (katsura maki): a style of women's head wrapping popular during the Muromachi Period, using a long piece of cloth tied in front above the forehead
• 桂宮(かつらのみや) (Katsura-no-miya): one of the four 親王家 (shinnōke, “branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out”)
• 桂(けい)宮(きゅう)院(いん) (Keikyūin), 桂(けい)宮(ぐう)院(いん) (Keigūin): the inner temple building at the Hōryūji Temple in Kyoto
• 桂(けい)月(げつ) (keigetsu): alternative word for 月 (tsuki, “the moon”); the eighth lunar month
• 桂(かつら)湖(こ)村(そん) (Katsura Koson): a Japanese author, lived 1868-1934
• 桂(けい)江(こう) (Keikō): a river in the Chūgoku region of Japan
• 桂(かつら)三(み)木(き)助(すけ) (Katsura Mikisuke): a traditional Japanese comedian (落語 (rakugo) performer); the first by this name lived 1894-1943, the second lived 1902-1961
• 桂(けい)枝(し) (keishi): a branch from a cassia, katsura, laurel, or cinnamon tree; a branch from the legendary tree that grows on the moon
• 桂(けい)芝(し) (keishi): alternative word for 万年茸 (mannentake), a type of mushroom
• 桂(けい)樹(じゅ) (keiju): common name for various trees in family Lauraceae, particularly the cinnamon or cassia trees; a legendary tree growing on the moon; alternative for 浜枇杷 (hamabiwa, “a type of tree in the genus Litsea, related to the laurel”)
• 桂(けい)秋(しゅう) (keishū): alternative word for 秋 (aki, “autumn”)
• 桂(かつら)春(はる)団(だん)治(じ) (Katsura Harudanji): stage name for 川田藤吉 (Kawada Fujiyoshi), a 落語 (rakugo, “traditional Japanese comedy”) performer in Ōsaka, lived 1881-1937
• 桂(かつら)女(め) (katsurame): a type of 巫女 (miko, “shrine maiden”); a woman selling of katsura ayu and katsura ame in areas around old Kyōto; a prostitute from the village of Katsura near Kyōto; a noblewoman's bridesmaid in ancient Japan
• 桂(かつら)小(こ)五(ご)郎(ろう) (Katsura Kogorō): former name of 木戸孝允 (Kido Takayoshi), an important politician in the late Edo Period and early Meiji Period
• 桂(けい)昌(しょう)院(いん) (Keishōin): concubine of 徳川家光 (Tokugawa Iemitsu), the third Tokugawa shōgun
• 桂(けい)心(しん) (keishin): cinnamon or cassia bark, as used in cooking; Cinnamomum tenuifolium, Japanese cinnamon; a type of mochi confection coated in cinnamon powder
• 桂(けい)仙(せん)花(か) (keisenka): alternative word for 翁草 (okinagusa), Pulsatilla cernua, a type of low-growing anemone

桂（カツラ): katsura leaves and fruit

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
桂
かつら Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 香 (ka, “fragrance, good smell”) +‎ 出 (zu, “to come out, to put something out”) + ら (ra, nominalizing suffix): "that which puts out a good smell", from the way the wood smells good.

Alternative forms

• 楓 (uncommon)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かつら [kàtsúrá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠t͡sɨᵝɾa̠]

Noun

桂(かつら) • (katsura) 

1. the katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, also called the Japanese Judas tree
2. less commonly, the smaller Cercidiphyllum magnificum tree, more specifically called the 広葉桂 or ヒロハカツラ (hiroha katsura, “broadleaf katsura”).
3. a tree on the moon, from a Chinese legend that the phases of the moon were caused by Lauraceae trees budding, blossoming, then dropping their flowers and leaves again as if in accelerated seasons
4. julienned raw daikon, used as a garnish for sashimi
5. alternative word for 肉桂 (nikkei, “the cinnamon or cassia tree”) or 桂皮 (keihi, “cinnamon or cassia bark”)

Derived terms

• 桂男(かつらおとこ) (katsura otoko): the katsura man, a character in the Chinese legend who lives on the moon

Proper noun

桂(かつら) • (Katsura) 

1. a male given name
2. a surname
3. the west bank of the Katsura River in Kyōto

桂（めかつら) mekatsura (Cinnamomum) leaves and fruit

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
桂
めかつら Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Alternative spelling for 女桂 (mekatsura, “female katsura”), an archaic name for the cinnamon tree. Compare 男桂 (okatsura, “male katsura: the katsura tree”). Appears with this reading in the 和名類聚抄 (Wamyō Ruijushō), a Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters completed in 938.

Alternative forms

• 女桂(めかつら) (mekatsura)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [me̞ka̠t͡sɨᵝɾa̠]

Noun

桂(めかつら) • (mekatsura) 

1. the cinnamon tree, or other closely related trees in genus Cinnamomum

Synonyms

• 肉桂(にっけい) (nikkei)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
桂
けい Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 桂 (kweiH).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) け​ー [kéꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ke̞ː]

Noun

桂(けい) • (kei) 

1. the cinnamon or cassia tree
2. common name for various other trees in family Lauraceae
3. in China, the 木犀 (mokusei) or sweet osmanthus tree

Synonyms

• (cinnamon or cassia): 肉桂(にっけい) (nikkei)
• (sweet osmanthus): 木犀(もくせい) (mokusei)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
桂
けい Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

From a Chinese legend that the phases of the moon were caused by kei trees, which would bud, blossom, then drop their flowers and leaves again as if in accelerated seasons.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ke̞ː]

Noun

桂(けい) • (kei) 

1. (euphemistic) the moon

Synonyms

• 月(つき) (tsuki)
• 桂花(けいか) (keika)

将棋の桂: shōgi knight

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
桂
けい Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

Abbreviation of 桂馬 (keima), the knight in 将棋 (shōgi, “Japanese chess”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) けー [kèé] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) け​ー [kéꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ke̞ː]

Noun

桂(けい) • (kei) 

1. the knight in 将棋 (shōgi, “Japanese chess”)

Synonyms

• 桂馬(けいま) (keima)

Korean

Hanja

桂 (eumhun 계수나무 계 (gyesunamu gye))

1. Hanja form^? of 계 (“cinnamon”).

Vietnamese

Han character

桂: Hán Nôm readings: quế

1. cinnamon