玫瑰

• Pinyin: méi gui
• Hanzi breakdown: 玫 = 王 (jade radical) + 攵 (phonetic) — a kind of beautiful gem/flower; 瑰 = 王 (jade radical) + 鬼 (phonetic) — extraordinary gem

Meaning

Rose. The flowering plant Rosa, widely cultivated for its beauty and fragrance.

Roses carry deep cultural symbolism in China as elsewhere: red roses symbolise love and romance, white roses purity, yellow roses friendship. They appear extensively in literature, poetry, gift-giving, and commercial contexts such as Valentine's Day and weddings.

Examples

1. 他精心挑选了一束深红色玫瑰，亲手送到女友面前，表达深深的爱意。 He carefully chose a bouquet of deep red roses and delivered it to his girlfriend in person to express his love.
2. 玫瑰精油是高端香水和护肤品的珍贵原料，每公斤售价高达数千美元。 Rose essential oil is a precious ingredient in high-end perfumes and skincare products, selling for thousands of dollars per kilogram.
3. 花店门口摆放着各色玫瑰，香气袭人，吸引了不少路过的顾客驻足欣赏。 Outside the flower shop, roses of every color were on display, their fragrance rich and inviting, drawing passersby to stop and admire them.

Usage Guide

Context: romance, gifts, nature, commerce

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 情人节那天，花店里的玫瑰被一抢而空，价格也比平时高出好几倍。(On Valentine's Day, the roses in the flower shops were snapped up instantly, and prices were several times higher than usual.)
• 她在阳台种了几株玫瑰，每逢开花季节，满阳台都飘散着沁人心脾的芬芳。(She planted several rose bushes on the balcony, and whenever they bloomed the whole balcony was filled with a delightful fragrance.)

Don't Say

• 将'玫瑰'与'蔷薇'混淆 — 蔷薇是野生小型蔷薇属植物，花朵较小，两者在植物学上有所区别 (Don't confuse 玫瑰 with 蔷薇 — 蔷薇 refers to wild, smaller-flowered Rosa species; the two are botanically distinct)

Origin & History

玫 (type of precious stone/flower) + 瑰 (extraordinary gem). Together traditionally describing the striking beauty of the rose.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal