松树
sōng shù · HSK 4
pine tree
🌲 松 (pine) + 树 (tree) = pine tree
松 means pine and 树 means tree, so 松树 literally stacks the two: pine-tree. 松 alone can mean pine, loose, or relaxed; pairing it with 树 pins the meaning to the tree itself.
松 — tree 木 + public 公
A semantic-phonetic compound: 木 (tree) gives the meaning, while 公 (gōng) hints at the sound. Originally referring to the pine tree, whose loose, spreading needles led to the extended meaning 'loose' or 'relaxed'.
树 — wood 木 + 對 (phonetic, simplified to 对)
树 originally combined 木 'tree' with 尌, suggesting planting something upright. The right side served mainly as a phonetic clue, while 木 carried the meaning. Over time it came to mean both 'tree' and the verb 'to plant' or 'establish'.