林 lín — woods; forest
森林里住着各种各样的动物。Sēn lín lǐ zhù zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de dòng wù.All kinds of animals live in the forest.
Common words: 森林 (sēn lín)、树林 (shù lín)、园林 (yuán lín)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "forest"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "forest", including 林 (lín), 森 (sēn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "forest" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 林 (lín), 森 (sēn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span lín, sēn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 林 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 林 línwoods; forestUseful words: 森林, 树林
- 森 sēnforestUseful words: 森林, 森然
Common words for these 2 "forest" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 林 (lín) — so "forest" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "forest".
森 sēn — forest
森林里的树木又高又密。Sēn lín lǐ de shù mù yòu gāo yòu mì.The trees in the forest are tall and dense.
Common words: 森林 (sēn lín)、森然 (sēn rán)、森罗 (sēn luó)
All 2 characters
Open 林、森 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.