Definitions
(classifier)
classifier for flowers; clouds
(noun)
flower
(noun)
earlobe
Etymology
Embellishment of the character 禾 (grain), with a distinguishing short stroke on the ear of the millet plant to indicate the drooping ear. Based on the original meaning "drooping ear of a grain". The meaning later shifted to "flower" and "earlobe".
About
The character "朵" originated as a pictograph that depicted a drooping flower or bud hanging from a plant, a form which over time became stylized into its current structure consisting of the top component, an abstraction of the blossom, positioned above the element for "tree" or "wood" (木). This original pictorial meaning directly informs its enduring use as a noun referring to a flower or bud. Its structural composition, however, also led to a fundamental semantic extension where the character evolved into a highly productive measure word, applied not only to flowers but to any object or grouping that suggests a clustered, rounded, or pendulous form, such as clouds or even ears. While the traditional form of the character is identical to the simplified one in this specific case, the conceptual architecture of the character has consistently supported both its literal botanical sense and its broader grammatical function as a classifier.
Example Sentences Hide
这是一朵红花。
她摘了一朵花。
天上有一朵白云。
这些花朵很美丽。
每一朵云都有不同的形状。
他轻轻地拿起那朵玫瑰。
我看到一朵花，但它已经枯萎了。
在春天的花园里，无数朵鲜花竞相开放。