马蹄莲 (mǎ tí lián) — calla lily

Definition

noun
calla lily
Measure word · 朵

Examples

  • 马蹄莲。
    Tā shǒu lǐ ná zhe yí shù bái sè de mǎ tí lián.
    She is holding a bunch of white calla lilies in her hand.
  • 马蹄莲。
    mǎ tí lián De huā yǔ shì gāo yǎ hé chún jié.
    The flower language of the calla lily is elegance and purity.
  • 马蹄莲。
    Wǒ zài huā diàn mǎi le yì pén mǎ tí lián fàng zài kè tīng lǐ.
    I bought a potted calla lily at the flower shop and put it in the living room.

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.

马蹄horse hoof
马mǎhorse蹄tíhoof
偏正Modifier + head
莲liánlotus

马蹄莲 names a 莲 whose shape recalls 马蹄, a horse hoof.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
帝
帝dì蹄tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹄 uses 足 (foot) to point to feet and 帝 to give its sound.

Open 蹄 →

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 蓮; 莲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
連
連lián蓮lián
Same sound today

The traditional form 蓮 puts the plant mark 艹 above 連, which gives the sound. The simplified 莲 is a later shorthand.

Open 莲 →

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