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浪花 (làng huā) — (noun) spray, foam of breaking waves; classifier: 朵 (duǒ); (figurative) small events or experiences in one's life; snippets

Definition

Literally 'wave-flower': the foam and spray where a wave breaks. Used figuratively for small events or moments in one's life (often with poetic or literary tone).

noun
sprayfoam of breaking wavesclassifier: 朵 (duǒ)(figurative) small events or experiences in one's lifesnippets
Measure word · 朵

Examples

  • ，浪花。
    Hǎi fēng chuī lái, làng huā fēi jiàn dào liǎn shàng.
    The sea breeze blew and the spray splashed onto my face.
  • 浪花。
    Rén shēng de měi yì duǒ làng huā dōu zhí dé zhēn xī.
    Every spray of life is worth cherishing.
  • 浪花。
    Yì duǒ làng huā dǎ zài le chuán tóu.
    A spray hit the bow of the boat.

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.

浪làngwave
花huāflower

浪 is wave and 花 is flower, picturing spray as wave-flowers.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

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

Open 花 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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