豆蔻 (dòu kòu) — cardamom or nutmeg (spice plant); (literary) a young girl in her early teens (as in 豆蔻年华)
Definition
Literally a spice plant (cardamom/nutmeg), but in literary Chinese 豆蔻年华 is a set phrase meaning 'a girl in her early teens.'
noun
cardamom or nutmeg (spice plant)(literary) a young girl in her early teens (as in 豆蔻年华)
Examples
- 豆蔻。dòu kòu Shì pēng rèn zhōng cháng yòng de xiāng liào.Cardamom is a commonly used spice in cooking.
- 豆蔻，。Tā zhèng zhí dòu kòu nián huá, qīng chūn měi lì.She is in her teenage years, youthful and beautiful.
- 豆蔻。Gǔ dài shī rén cháng yòng dòu kòu lái bǐ yù shào nǚ.Ancient poets often used cardamom as a metaphor for young girls.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.