蒹葭倚玉樹

简 蒹葭倚玉树 · 繁 蒹葭倚玉樹
Mandarin · pinyin jiān jiā yǐ yù shù

Meanings

  1. lit. reeds leaning on a jade tree (idiom)
  2. fig. the lowly associating with the noble; the weak seeking help from the strong
Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

蒹
jiān · reed, Phragmites communis
葭
jiā · bulrush, reed; flute, whistle
倚
yǐ · rely on, depend on; lean heavily
玉
yù · jade, precious stone, gem
樹
shù · tree; plant; set up, establish
树
shù · tree; plant; set up, establish
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–1–3–4–4 · jian1 jia1 yi3 yu4 shu4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

6character links
Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

蒹葭倚玉樹 · find source passages ↗ · 蒹葭倚玉树 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

蒹葭倚玉樹 · jian1 jia1 yi3 yu4 shu4
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 95,546
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record蒹葭倚玉樹 蒹葭倚玉树 [jian1 jia1 yi3 yu4 shu4] /lit. reeds leaning on a jade tree (idiom)/fig. the lowly associating with the noble; the weak seeking help from the strong/