Chinese Word
Archive
← Today's word Archive
noun HSK 5
lěi
bud · flower bud

Meaning

蕾 refers to the unopened flower bud of a plant, the stage before a flower fully blooms. It's commonly seen in botanical contexts and poetic descriptions of flowers.

Usage

This character appears most frequently in compound words related to flowers and plants, such as 花蕾 (flower bud) or 蓓蕾 (budding flower). It's also commonly used in feminine names. The standalone character is less common in everyday conversation than its compound forms.

Examples

  1. 01
    春天来了，树枝上长出了许多嫩绿的花蕾。
    Chūntiān lái le, shù zhī shàng zhǎng chū le xǔduō nèn lǜ de huā lěi.
    Spring has arrived, and many tender green buds have appeared on the branches.
  2. 02
    玫瑰的花蕾还没有完全开放。
    Méiguī de huā lěi hái méiyǒu wánquán kāifàng.
    The rose buds haven't fully bloomed yet.

Measure words

  • 朵duǒ一朵花蕾
  • 个gè一个花蕾

Common collocations

  • 花蕾
    huā lěi
    flower bud
  • 蓓蕾初绽
    bèi lěi chū zhàn
    buds just beginning to open

Origin

The character contains the grass/plant radical 艹 (cǎo) on top, indicating its connection to plants. The bottom component 雷 (léi, thunder) provides the phonetic element.

Related