花 (huā) means "flower, to spend (money, time)" with 7 strokes, radical 艹 (grass), HSK 2 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: flower
Other meanings:
- to spend (money
- time)
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
花 is not attested in oracle bone or bronze inscriptions; the older word for flower was 華 (华), which depicted a flowering plant with drooping blossoms. 花 itself is a later phono-semantic compound: 艹 (grass radical) on top signals a plant, and 化 below gives both the sound huā and a hint of transformation, since a bud 'changes' into a bloom.
Form evolution
The seal form of 華 shows a tree-like stem with radiating blossoms, which the clerical script squared off into the modern 華/华. 花 first appears reliably in clerical and early regular script around the Northern and Southern Dynasties as a simpler substitute, with 艹 written as four strokes in clerical and reduced to three in modern regular script.
How the meaning evolved
The original 華 meant blossom, then extended to splendour, ornament, and the name China itself (中華). Once 花 took over the concrete flower sense around the Tang, it picked up further extensions: patterned or decorated (花纹), to spend or use up (花钱), and blurred or dazzled (眼花). 華 kept the grander abstract meanings.
Cultural note
The division of labour between 花 and 華 is a classic example of a later graph stealing the concrete sense from an older one. The idiom 花言巧语 (flowery words, slick talk) plays on the decorative extension, while 昙花一现 (a night-blooming cereus appearing once) is a common literary phrase for something brief and beautiful.
Mnemonic
Grass that transforms — a flower
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | huā |
| Meanings | flower, to spend (money, time) |
| Stroke count | 7 strokes |
| Radical | 艹 (#140: grass) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #630 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 花
Related characters
On the new HSK 2 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.