松竹梅

松竹梅

1. pine, bamboo and plum, the three plants which do not wither in winter; the Three Friends of Winter; symbols of resilience and perseverance

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 松竹梅 (MC zɨoŋ ʈɨuk̚ muʌi). First cited to a text from 1359.[1]

• (Tokyo) しょーちく​ばい [shòóchíkúꜜbàì] (Nakadaka – [4])[2]
• (Tokyo) しょーち​くばい [shòóchíꜜkùbàì] (Nakadaka – [3])[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːt͡ɕikɯ̟ᵝba̠i]

松(しょう)竹(ちく)梅(ばい) • (shōchikubai) 

1. the pine, bamboo, and plum as a set; the three auspicious symbols of the Japanese New Year

   the pine represents strength, the bamboo represents longevity, and the plum represents beauty and optimism

2. a three-rank system based on grades or classes of certain items

• 歳(さい)寒(かん)三(さん)友(ゆう) (Saikan San'yū, “Three Friends of Winter”): 松(しょう) (shō, “pine”), 竹(ちく) (chiku, “bamboo”), 梅(ばい) (bai, “plum”)
• 松竹梅(しょうちくばい) (shōchikubai) ranking system: 松(まつ) (matsu, “pine”, the top rank), 竹(たけ) (take, “bamboo”, the middle rank), 梅(うめ) (ume, “plum”, the lowest rank)

松(しょう)竹(ちく)梅(ばい) • (Shōchikubai) 

1. name of a late-Edo period 箏曲 (sōkyoku, “koto song”)
2. name of various 長唄 (nagauta)
3. name of a 河東節 (katō-bushi) (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
4. name of a rakugo
5. name of a brand of sake (branded as “Sho Chiku Bai” in English)