冬青
dōngqīng
The English word holly is translated into Chinese as 冬青 (dōngqīng).
冬青 refers to any of various shrubs or small trees belonging to the genus Ilex.
Meaning: any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex (noun)
Which one should you use?
冬青树 is used for a more formal expression of the word.
How do you pronounce it?
dōngqīng
Did you know?
- In certain classical Chinese poetic contexts, the imagery of 'winter green' plants is used to represent a person of high integrity who remains steadfast during difficult times.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, certain species of 冬青 are used to treat inflammation and rheumatism.
- The character 青 in 冬青 is a versatile color term that can mean 'blue', 'green', or even 'black' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢花园门口漂亮的法国冬青。I love the beautiful holly at the entrance of the garden.
- 我们用扶桑冬青装饰圣诞树吧。Let's decorate the Christmas tree with holly leaves.
- 这种冬青的叶子很亮。Zhè zhǒng dōngqīng de yèzi hěn liàng.The leaves of this holly are very shiny.
- 花园里种了几株冬青。Huāyuán lǐ zhòngle jǐ zhū dōngqīng.There are a few holly shrubs planted in the garden.
- 我喜欢这种冬青的颜色。Wǒ xǐhuān zhè zhǒng dōngqīng de yánsè.I like the color of this holly.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at plants in a garden center.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，你看那株冬青。Zǐhán, nǐ kàn nà zhū dōngqīng.Zihan, look at that holly shrub.
- 梓涵 Zihan它的叶子看起来很漂亮。Tā de yèzi kàn qǐlái hěn piàoliang.Its leaves look very beautiful.
- 伟 Wei我们买一盆回家吧。Wǒmen mǎi yì pén huí jiā ba.Let's buy a pot to take home.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，伟，我也很喜欢。Hǎo, Wěi, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān.Okay, Wei, I like it very much too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “holly” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
