杉木 (shānmù): China fir wood

Meanings

1 China fir wood
2 cunninghamia timber
3 fir/cedar wood (loosely)

Characters

杉

Examples

这把椅子是用杉木做的。

Zhè bǎ yǐzi shì yòng shānmù zuò de.

This chair is made of fir wood.

南方山区盛产杉木。

Nánfāng shānqū shèngchǎn shānmù.

The mountainous regions of the south are rich in fir timber.

Tips

culture

Specifically refers to wood from 杉树 (China fir, Cunninghamia lanceolata) — a fast-growing softwood native to southern China, prized for being light, fragrant, rot-resistant, and easy to work. It's the classic timber for traditional Chinese coffins, beams, and rural furniture.

mistakes

Don't confuse with 衫 (shān, 'shirt') — same pronunciation, totally different character. Also note 杉 has a second reading 'shā' used in some place names (e.g. 杉树, sometimes shā shù in regional usage), but for the wood the standard is shān.