花季 (huā jì) — (literal) flowering season, prime bloom period for plants; (figurative) teenage years, the springtime of one's youth

Definition

花季 literally means 'flowering season' for plants, but figuratively refers to one's teenage years — the youthful, vibrant peak, like spring in bloom. Often used in writing to evoke innocence and hope.

noun
(literal) flowering seasonprime bloom period for plants(figurative) teenage yearsthe springtime of one's youth

Examples

  • 花季。
    Měi nián de sān dào wǔ yuè shì yīng huā de huā jì.
    Every year from March to May is the cherry blossom season.
  • 花季。
    huā jì De hái zi men duì wèi lái chōng mǎn xī wàng.
    Children in their teenage years are full of hope for the future.
  • 花季，。
    Tā shì yí wèi huā jì shào nǚ, qīng chūn yáng yì.
    She is a teenage girl, full of youthful vitality.

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.

花huāflower
季jìseason

花 names flowers and 季 names season, together giving flowering season and youth.

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
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 →

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

季 is formed by placing 禾 above 子.

Open 季 →

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