黄花 (huáng huā) — day lily (Hemerocallis fulva, edible flower used in cooking); (literary) chrysanthemum; (colloquial) virgin (used in 黄花闺女)

Definition

Literally 'yellow flower', but its meanings depend on context: in cooking it is the edible day lily (黄花菜); in classical poetry it stands for the chrysanthemum; in 黄花闺女 it means a maiden.

noun
day lily (Hemerocallis fulva, edible flower used in cooking)(literary) chrysanthemum(colloquial) virgin (used in 黄花闺女)
Measure word · 朵

Examples

  • 黄花，。
    Zhè dào cài jiā le huáng huā hé mù ěr, wèi dào hěn xiān.
    This dish has day lilies and wood ear mushrooms, and it tastes very fresh.
  • 黄花。
    Gǔ diǎn shī cí lǐ cháng bǎ huáng huā bǐ zuò yǐn shì.
    In classical poetry, chrysanthemums are often compared to hermits.
  • 黄花，。
    Tā hái shì gè huáng huā guī nü, cóng wèi tán guò liàn ài.
    She is still a maiden and has never been in a relationship.

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.

黄huángyellow
花huāflower

The 黄 part describes the 花 part, naming the edible day lily or chrysanthemum.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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 →

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