spring

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 春 has 9 strokes; the word 春 is read はる, and 青春 is read せいしゅん.
• Basic usage: 春 denotes the season spring; 青春 denotes youth as a period of life.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A season and a stage of life
  • 来年の春 specifies the season spring next year. 春 similarly functions as a time expression when describing flowers blooming or someone beginning at a school.
  • 若者たちの青春 means the youth of the young people.