華

華 U+FAB4, 華 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FAB4 ← 荒 CJK Compatibility Ideographs 蝹 →

Translingual

Han character

華 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+8 in traditional Chinese, 艸+7 in mainland China and Japanese, 12 strokes in Chinese in traditional Chinese, 10 strokes in mainland China and Japanese, 11 strokes in Korean, cangjie input 廿一廿十 (TMTJ), four-corner 4450₄, composition ⿱艹⿻丅⿱艹二)

Derived characters

• 𠎑, 嘩(哗), 墷, 嬅(𫰡), 㠏(㟆), 𭘲, 㦊(𫺆), 撶(𫼧), 澕, 璍, 曄(晔), 𦠜, 樺(桦), 燁(烨), 皣, 瞱(𬑓), 𬒢, 䅿, 𬚦, 𧑍, 㒯, 譁, 𨅯, 鏵(铧), 鞾(𫖇), 韡(𮧵), 驊(骅), 𩻮(𫚘), 𫛓, 𪟥, 鷨(𪉊), 𡪤, 曅, 𨶱

Related characters

• 华 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1039, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31119
• Dae Jaweon: page 1497, character 12
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3213, character 1
• Unihan data for U+83EF

• Unihan data for U+FAB4

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 華
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形) ; this was the original form of 花 (OC *hʷraː, “flower”). In the bronze inscription form, the top part of the glyph resembles flowers of a plant, and the bottom part (于) resembles its stalk and leaves. Also phono-semantic (形聲／形声) , with 于 (OC *ɢʷa) functioning as the phonetic part. In the seal script, 艸 (“grass; plant”) was added as a semantic component.

華 (𦻏) and 𠌶 were initially the same character, but they were erroneously split in Shuowen into two entries.

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

華

1. brilliance; magnificence

   光華／光华  ―  guānghuá  ―  brilliance

   • 若木在建木西，末有十日，其華照下地。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     若木在建木西，末有十日，其华照下地。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Huainanzi, 2^nd century BCE

     Ruòmù zài jiànmù xī, mò yǒu shí rì, qí huá zhào xiàdì.

     The ruomu is west of the jianmu, and on its top are ten suns, whose brilliance shines on the earth.

2. (good) times; years; period

   年華／年华  ―  niánhuá  ―  good times

3. young; youthful
4. literary grace; talent for literature
5. prestige; status; fame
6. colourful; brilliant (especially of carvings and decorations)
7. magnificent; gorgeous; resplendent

   華麗／华丽  ―  huálì  ―  gorgeous; splendid

   • 五色點注，華羽參差。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     五色点注，华羽参差。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 3rd century, 鍾會 (Zhong Hui), 孔雀賦

     Wǔsè diǎnzhù, huá yǔ cēncī.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

8. delicious; tasty
9. essence; quintessence

   含英咀華／含英咀华  ―  hányīngjǔhuá  ―  to savour the merits of a literary work

   • 物華天寶，龍光射牛斗之墟。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     物华天宝，龙光射牛斗之墟。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 675, Wang Bo, 滕王閣序

     Wùhuátiānbǎo, lóngguāng shè niúdǒu zhī xū.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

10. (honorific) your; your honourable

    華誕／华诞  ―  huádàn  ―  birthday; your birthday

11. (exalted) Short for 華夏／华夏 (Huáxià): land of illustrious clothing and grand ritual—China; Chinese culture

    訪華／访华  ―  fǎnghuá  ―  to visit China

    駐華大使館／驻华大使馆  ―  zhùhuá dàshǐguǎn  ―  embassy in China

    華僑/華人／华侨/华人  ―  huáqiáo / huárén  ―  Chinese residing abroad

    • 裔不謀夏，夷不亂華。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      裔不谋夏，夷不乱华。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

      From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

      Yì bù móu xià, yí bù luàn huá.

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

12. Short for 漢語／汉语 (Hànyǔ, “Chinese language”).
13. luxuriant; flourishing; prosperous

    繁華／繁华  ―  fánhuá  ―  prosperous

14. noble; influential; eminent
15. grey (of hair)

    • 故國神遊，多情應笑我，早生華髮。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      故国神游，多情应笑我，早生华发。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

      From: 1082, Su Shi, 念奴嬌·赤壁懷古

      Gùguó shényóu, duōqíng yīng xiào wǒ, zǎo shēng huáfà.

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

16. flashy; extravagant; showy; ostentatious; florid

    華而不實／华而不实  ―  huá'érbùshí  ―  flashy and without substance

17. face powder

    鉛華／铅华  ―  qiānhuá  ―  lead face powder

18. (historical, obsolete) cover of a carriage
19. (obsolete) fruit (of a cucurbit plant)
20. Alternative form of 譁／哗 (“noisy”)

Synonyms

• (China):

Compounds

Descendants

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

華

1. Alternative form of 花 (huā, “flower; blossom”)

   • 皇皇者華，于彼原隰。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     皇皇者华，于彼原隰。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Huánghuáng zhě huá, yú bǐ yuán xí.

     Brilliant are the flowers,
     On those level heights and the low grounds.

2. to flower; to blossom

   • 昔我往矣，黍稷方華。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     昔我往矣，黍稷方华。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Xī wǒ wǎng yǐ, shǔjì fāng huā.

     When we were marching at first,
     The millets were in flower.

   • 桐始華，田鼠化為鴽，虹始見，萍始生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     桐始华，田鼠化为𫛪，虹始见，萍始生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Tóng shǐ huā, tiánshǔ huàwéi rú, hóng shǐ xiàn, píng shǐ shēng.

     The Elaeococca begins to flower. Moles are transformed into quails. Rainbows begin to appear. Duckweed begins to grow.

3. (traditional Chinese medicine) flower pulse; weak pulse
4. to be dim-sighted; to be dazzled
5. to dissect; to cut up

Compounds

Pronunciation 3

Definitions

華

1. (～山) Mount Hua (a mountain in Shaanxi)
2. Original form of 樺／桦 (huà, “birch”).
3. a surname

   華羅庚／华罗庚  ―  Huà Luógēng  ―  Hua Luogeng (mathematician)

Compounds

References

• “華”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Shinjitai	華
Kyūjitai	華󠄂 華+󠄂? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
	華󠄃 華+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. flower
2. flashiness
3. brilliance, shine
4. beauty, splendor
5. fine, white powder
6. China, Chinese
7. sixty-one-year-old; kanreki

Readings

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC xwae); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huā):

• Go-on: け (ke, Jōyō ^†)^{←け (ke, historical)←くゑ (kwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwae); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huá):

• Go-on: げ (ge)^{←げ (ge, historical)←ぐゑ (gwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwaeH); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huà):

• Go-on: げ (ge)^{←げ (ge, historical)←ぐゑ (gwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: はな (hana, 華, Jōyō); はなさく (hanasaku, 華さく); はなやか (hanayaka, 華やか)
• Nanori: あき (aki); てる (teru); は (ha); はな (hana); はる (haru)

Compounds

Etymology 1

/kua/ → /kʷa/ → /ka/

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwae).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) か​ (Atamadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

• Some dictionaries apparently classify this reading as either goon or kan'yōon.

Noun

華(か) • (ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. flashiness, showiness

   Synonym: 虚飾 (kyoshoku)

Idioms

• 華(か)を去(さ)り実(じつ)に就(つ)く (ka o sari jitsu ni tsuku)

Proper noun

華(か) • (Ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. a surname
2. a male or female given name

Etymology 2

/pana/ → /fana/ → /hana/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pana.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はな​ (Odaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Derived terms

Idiom

• 火事(かじ)と喧嘩(けんか)は江戸(えど)の華(はな) (kaji to kenka wa Edo no hana)

Proverb

1. 枯木(こぼく)華(はな)開(ひら)く (koboku hana hiraku)

Proper noun

華(はな) • (Hana) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

References

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

華

Wikisource

華 • (hwa) (hangeul 화)

1. bright; colorful

Vietnamese

Han character

華: Hán Việt readings: hoa (戶(hộ)花(hoa)切(thiết))
華: Nôm readings: hoa

1. chữ Hán form of Hoa (“Hoa people”).

Compounds

References