杜鹃花
dùjuānhuā
The English word "azalea" is translated into Mandarin as 杜鹃花 (dùjuānhuā).
杜鹃花 is used to refer to the azalea plant.
Meaning: plant (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 杜鹃 (dùjuān), which means cuckoo and 花 (huā), which means flower.
Which one should you use?
杜鹃花 specifically refers to the azalea plant. In contrast, the term 杜鹃 alone can refer to the cuckoo bird or to the broader genus of plants known as rhododendrons.
How do you pronounce it?
dùjuānhuā
Did you know?
- The name 杜鹃花 comes from an ancient belief that the flower blooms when the cuckoo bird sings, and in some legends, the red color of the petals represents the blood of a bird that cried until it died.
- The phrase 杜鹃啼血 (the cuckoo cries blood) is a common idiom used in literature to describe extreme grief or a heart-wrenching situation, derived from the mythology of the 杜鹃.
- The character 杜 in 杜鹃花 is a common Chinese surname, which can occasionally lead to playful puns in names or titles involving the plant.
Examples in context
- 杜鹃花在许多中国的花园中很常见。Azalea plants are commonly found in many Chinese gardens.
- 我们在后院种些杜鹃花吧。Let's plant some azaleas in our backyard.
- 满山的杜鹃花开了。The azaleas all over the mountain have bloomed.
- 这种杜鹃花开得很漂亮。Zhè zhǒng dùjuānhuā kāi de hěn piàoliang.This kind of azalea blooms beautifully.
- 花园里种了很多杜鹃花。Huāyuán lǐ zhòngle hěnduō dùjuānhuā.Many azaleas are planted in the garden.
- 我喜欢粉色的杜鹃花。Wǒ xǐhuān fěnsè de dùjuānhuā.I like pink azaleas.
Example conversation
Junjie and Xinyi are walking through a botanical garden.
- 俊杰 Junjie你看，那边的杜鹃花开了。Nǐ kàn, nàbiān de dùjuānhuā kāi le.Look, the azaleas over there have bloomed.
- 欣怡 Xinyi哇，颜色真的好鲜艳！Wa, yánsè zhēn de hǎo xiānyàn!Wow, the colors are so vibrant!
- 俊杰 Junjie欣怡，你想拍张照片吗？Xīnyí, nǐ xiǎng pāi zhāng zhàopiàn ma?Xinyi, do you want to take a photo?
- 欣怡 Xinyi好啊，帮我拍一张吧。Hǎo a, bāng wǒ pāi yī zhāng ba.Sure, please take one for me.
