花

• Pinyin: huā
• Hanzi breakdown: 花 = 艹 (grass/plant radical) + 化 (change, phonetic) — a blossoming plant

Meaning

Flower; blossom. Also means to spend (money or time).

As a noun, it means flower or blossom. As a verb, it means to spend: 花钱 (spend money), 花时间 (spend time). This dual meaning is very common in daily Chinese. The noun usage is more frequent at HSK 1 level.

Examples

1. 这朵花很漂亮。 This flower is very beautiful.
2. 我想买一些花。 I want to buy some flowers.
3. 公园里有很多花。 There are many flowers in the park.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, everyday, shopping

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 送你一朵花。(Here's a flower for you.)
• 春天到了，花都开了。(Spring is here, all the flowers are blooming.)

Don't Say

• 一个花 (Wrong measure word — use 一朵花 for a single flower or 一束花 for a bouquet)

Origin & History

The top component 艹 represents grass or plants, and the bottom 化 (change) is phonetic and also suggests blossoming transformation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal