桃花 (táo huā) — peach blossom; (figurative, poetic) a beautiful… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'peach blossom' (the flower of the peach tree). In classical poetry it's a common metaphor for a beautiful young woman or romantic/fated love.

noun

peach blossom(figurative, poetic) a beautiful woman

Measure word · 朵

Examples

，桃花。
Chūn tiān dào le, shān shàng de táo huā kāi dé tè bié měi.
Spring has arrived, and the peach blossoms on the mountain are especially beautiful.
，桃花。
Tā xiě le yì shǒu shī, yòng táo huā lái bǐ yù nà wèi nǚ zǐ.
He wrote a poem using peach blossoms to metaphorically describe that woman.
桃花。
Zhè kē táo huā shù yǐ jīng zhǒng le shí nián le.
This peach blossom tree has been planted for ten years.

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.

桃花 combines peach and flower to mean the blossom of a peach tree.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木兆桃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

兆

兆zhào桃táo(r)

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Plants & Flowers

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