切花 (qiē huā) — cut flowers (as a product, for decoration or floristry)

Definition

verb
cut flowers (as a product, for decoration or floristry)

Examples

  • 切花。
    Zhè jiā huā diàn de qiē huā fēi cháng xīn xiān.
    The cut flowers at this flower shop are very fresh.
  • 切花。
    qiē huā Xū yào fàng zài lěng shuǐ zhōng bǎo xiān.
    Cut flowers need to be placed in cold water to keep fresh.
  • 切花。
    Tā mǎi le yí shù qiē huā sòng gěi mā ma.
    She bought a bouquet of cut flowers for her mother.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

切qiècut
花huāflowers

切 names the cutting action and 花 names the flowers, giving the idea of cut 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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
七
七qī切qiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 切, the 刀 (knife) part is joined to 七, which gives the sound.

Open 切 →

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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