橘 (jú): mandarin orange; tangerine

Measure Word

一个橘 gè

Zhège júzi zhēn tián.

This tangerine is really sweet.

Jú shēng Huáinán zé wéi jú, shēng yú Huáiběi zé wéi zhǐ.

Oranges grown south of the Huai River are oranges; grown north they become bitter citrus.

culture

The classical saying 橘生淮南则为橘 illustrates how environment shapes outcomes — a well-known metaphor in Chinese literature.

usage

橘 and 桔 (jú) are often interchangeable in modern usage. 橘子 is the standard spoken form for tangerine.

橘 jú