枣
zǎo · HSK 7
jujube
🌰 枣 = 木 (tree) + 朿 doubled-up thorny element; the spiny date tree
The character stacks two 朿 (thorn) parts over a tree radical, marking the thorny jujube tree. Sound-alike: zǎo rhymes with zǎo 早 (early) — jujubes were an early-ripening fruit.
枣 — two 朿 (thorn) stacked vertically
枣 (traditional 棗) is a pictograph of the jujube tree, formed by stacking two 朿 'thorn' components to show the tree's characteristic thorny branches. The vertical doubling distinguishes the jujube from 棘 (brambles), where 朿 is written side by side. The simplified form 枣 replaces the lower 朿 with two dots.