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木瓜 (mù guā) — papaya (the tropical fruit, Carica papaya); flowering quince (the shrub Chaenomeles speciosa, whose fruit is used in traditional medicine); (slang) stupid person, slow learner

Definition

In modern Chinese 木瓜 usually means the tropical papaya, but in traditional medicine and classical writing it refers to flowering quince (Chaenomeles). The slang sense ('blockhead') is a derogatory insult meaning a stupid or slow person.

noun
papaya (the tropical fruit, Carica papaya)flowering quince (the shrub Chaenomeles speciosa, whose fruit is used in traditional medicine)(slang) stupid personslow learner
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 木瓜。
    Wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng chī yí gè mù guā.
    I eat a papaya every morning.
  • 木瓜。
    mù guā Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de zhōng yào cái.
    Papaya/flowering quince is a common Chinese medicinal herb.
  • ，木瓜。
    Tā kǎo shì bù jí gé, zhēn shì gè mù guā.
    He failed the exam; he's really a blockhead.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

木mùtree
瓜guāmelon

木, tree, and 瓜, melon, combine for a fruit borne on a woody plant.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Open 木 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 瓜 is drawn from a melon hanging from its vines, which matches its meaning.

Open 瓜 →
Appears in
Fruits

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