Wood element tattoo
Wood in Chinese is 木 (mù), one of the five elements, 五行 (wǔ xíng). It stands for growth, renewal and reaching upward, like a tree in spring.
mù
Wood · one of the five elements
What 木 means.
木 began as a picture of a tree: a trunk with branches above and roots below.
- Character
- 木wood, tree; the same in simplified and traditional Chinese
- Virtue
- kindness (仁 rén)
- Colours
- greentealsage
- Season
- Spring
- Direction
- East
- Numbers
- 3 and 8
- In nature
- Forests, gardens and living plants
- Years
- Years ending in 4 and 5
Yang and yin Wood
- 甲Yang Woodthe tall tree
- 乙Yin Woodthe flowering vine
Each element has a yang and a yin side, written with two of the ten Heavenly Stems. In a Chinese birth chart, the stem of the day you were born is your day master: your own element.
In the cycles
- Water nourishes Wood, and Wood feeds Fire in the generating cycle.
- Metal cuts Wood, and Wood parts Earth in the controlling cycle.
Your element isn't just your birth year.
Years ending in 4 and 5 are Wood years, but in Chinese astrology your own element is your day master, from the day you were born. The free calculator reads your full birth chart and shows how the five elements balance in it.
About wood in Chinese
What is the Chinese character for wood?
木 (mù), meaning wood, tree. It is one of the five elements, 五行 (wǔ xíng), and is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.
What does the Wood element stand for?
Wood stands for growth, renewal and reaching upward, like a tree in spring. Its virtue is kindness (仁 rén), its season spring, its direction east, and its colours green, teal, sage.
How do I know if Wood is my element?
Many people go by their birth year: years ending in 4 and 5 are Wood years. In Chinese astrology, though, your own element is your day master, the element of the day you were born, and it often differs from your year. The free element calculator finds it from your birth date.
Which zodiac signs belong to Wood?
The Tiger and Rabbit have Wood as their fixed element. Each zodiac year also takes an element from its last digit, so there are Wood years of every sign.
How does Wood relate to the other elements?
Water nourishes Wood and Wood feeds Fire in the generating cycle. Metal cuts Wood and Wood parts Earth in the controlling cycle.
Is 木 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes. 木 is a simple, well-known character, and every Chinese reader will recognise it as wood. With few strokes it stays clear even at small sizes. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.