花样

• Pinyin: huā yàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 花 = 艹 + 化 — flower, fancy, varied; 样 = 木 (wood) + 羊 — appearance, pattern, style, originally the pattern of wood grain

Meaning

Style; variety; pattern; also a trick, a scheme, or a ploy. Has both a neutral meaning (variety or style) and a slightly negative one (tricks or shenanigans).

花样百出 (endlessly varied tricks or styles) is a common expression. In sports, 花样滑冰 means figure skating. The negative sense (搞花样, 玩花样) implies someone is up to tricks or playing games.

Examples

1. 这家糕点店每季度都会推出全新花样，让顾客每次来都有新鲜感。 This pastry shop rolls out brand-new varieties every quarter, so customers always feel like there's something new each time they come.
2. 你少在这里玩花样，合同上的条款清清楚楚，你想耍什么手段我一眼就能看穿。 Stop trying to play games—the contract terms are crystal clear, and I can see right through whatever you're trying to pull.
3. 她在花样游泳比赛中动作流畅优美，最终以高分夺得了本届全国锦标赛冠军。 Her movements were smooth and graceful in the artistic swimming competition, and she ultimately won the national championship with a high score.

Usage Guide

Context: business, sports, daily life, fraud detection

Tone: neutral to critical

Do Say

• 这家老字号餐厅在保留传统口味的前提下，不断翻新菜品花样，将经典配方与现代摆盘技巧相结合，成功吸引了大量年轻顾客。(While preserving traditional flavours, this long-established restaurant continuously refreshes the variety of its dishes, combining classic recipes with modern plating techniques, and has successfully attracted a large number of younger diners.)
• 审计人员发现，这家公司在财务报表上做了不少花样，通过关联交易和虚假发票掩盖了大量违规支出，相关负责人已被移送司法机关处理。(Auditors found that the company had employed numerous tricks in its financial statements, concealing a large volume of irregular expenditures through related-party transactions and fabricated invoices; the relevant persons in charge have been referred to judicial authorities.)

Don't Say

• 花样 when you strictly mean 图案 (a specific graphic pattern or design) — 花样 is broader and more colloquial; 图案 is the precise term for a specific graphic motif

Origin & History

花 (decorative; varied; showy) + 样 (style; pattern; appearance) — a showy style or variety; extended to tricks because trickery is a form of decorative deception

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal