松
まつ · matsu · JLPT N3 · noun
pine
🌲 松 = 木 tree + 公 public; matsu sounds like mats, as pine needles carpet the ground
The left side 木 marks it as a tree, and 公 (public) was originally a sound hint. Sound hook: fallen pine needles form soft mats under the tree, so matsu means pine. Kadomatsu, the New Year gate decoration, is made from pine.
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'.