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盛开 (shèng kāi) — to be in full bloom, to bloom profusely

Definition

盛开 (shèng kāi) describes flowers bursting into full bloom — vivid and emphatic, more dramatic than 绽放 ('to blossom'), which is gentler and literary. Used for natural abundance, not human activity.

verb
to be in full bloomto bloom profusely

Examples

  • 盛开。
    Yīng huā zài chūn tiān shí shèng kāi.
    Cherry blossoms bloom in full in spring.
  • 盛开。
    Zhè lǐ de méi gui huā cóng wǔ yuè zhōng xún kāi shǐ shèng kāi.
    The roses here start blooming profusely from mid-May.
  • 盛开，。
    Mǎn shān de yě huā dōu shèng kāi le, fēi cháng měi lì.
    The wildflowers all over the mountain are in full bloom, very beautiful.

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.

盛shèngabundant
开kāiopen

盛 (abundant) and 开 (open) together describe flowers opening fully.

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
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng盛shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盛 combines 成 as a sound part with 皿 as a meaning part; the 皿 side points to a vessel, which fits meanings such as hold and fill.

Open 盛 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Plants & Flowers

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