扶ふ桑そう

ふ

そ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Fusang; divine tree or island east of China

In Chinese mythology, a sacred mulberry tree or a mythical land in the eastern sea where the sun rises; also used poetically for Japan.

扶ふ桑そうは中ちゅう国ごく神しん話わに登とう場じょうする東とう方ほうの神しん木ぼくである。
Fusang is a divine tree of the east that appears in Chinese mythology.
昔むかし、扶ふ桑そうは東とう方ほうの海うみにある伝でん説せつの地ちとされた。
In ancient times, Fusang was regarded as a legendary land in the eastern sea.

noun

Japan (poetic)

formal or literary

Formal or literary term; a classical poetic name for Japan, derived from the mythological Fusang.

扶ふ桑そうの国くにに生うまれし幸しあわせを思おもう。
I reflect on the fortune of being born in the land of Fusang (Japan).

noun

Chinese hibiscus; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Botanical name; often referred to as ブッソウゲ in Japanese.

Kanji

扶aid, help, assist
桑mulberry
榑unbarked lumber
搏seize, spring upon, strike

Related words

ブッソウゲ
Common Japanese name for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; 扶桑 is the Chinese-derived kanji name used mainly in botanical or literary contexts.
日本にほん
Standard modern name for Japan; 扶桑 is a poetic, classical alternative.

Written forms

扶ふ桑そうUsage64%
Standard kanji form; used in all senses.
ふそうUsage36%
榑ふ桑そう
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
搏桑ふそう
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

From Chinese 扶桑 (fúsāng), a mythological tree or land in the eastern sea. The kanji 扶 means 'to support' and 桑 means 'mulberry', referring to the sacred mulberry tree where the sun rises. The word was adopted in Japanese as a poetic name for Japan and later applied to the hibiscus flower.