丁香花 (dīng xiāng huā) — lilac (flower); clove (flower)

Definition

丁香花 is a single noun covering both the lilac (ornamental flower) and the clove (spice flower) — two different plants that share the Chinese name. Examples show both senses in everyday use.

noun
lilac (flower)clove (flower)
Measure word · 朵

Examples

  • ，丁香花。
    Chūn tiān dào le, gōng yuán lǐ de dīng xiāng huā kāi dé hěn měi.
    Spring has arrived, and the lilacs in the park are blooming beautifully.
  • 丁香花。
    Zhè zhǒng dīng xiāng huā de xiāng wèi fēi cháng nóng yù.
    The fragrance of this kind of lilac is very rich.
  • 丁香花。
    Tā yòng dīng xiāng huā zhì zuò le xiāng liào.
    She used cloves to make spice.

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.

丁香lilac/clove
丁dīngnail-like香xiāngfragrant
偏正Modifier + head
花huāflower

丁香 evokes a nail-like fragrant plant, and 花 gives the flower sense.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

丁 may picture a nail head, a person's head, a square city wall, or a square star pattern.

Open 丁 →

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

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

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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