About
The character for lotus, "莲", originates from its traditional form "蓮", a phono-semantic compound constructed from the grass radical "艹" denoting plant life and the phonetic component "連" which provides the sound "lián" while concurrently evoking ideas of connection or continuity, reflective of the lotus's perceived linked growth cycles and its symbolic ties to enduring purity. Historically, this character has consistently denoted the Nelumbo nucifera plant, yet its semantic field broadened beyond mere botany to encompass rich metaphorical layers, especially within poetic and Buddhist contexts where it conveys spiritual awakening and unblemished beauty arising from adversity. The later structural adaptation to "莲" modified the phonetic element to "连" while retaining the original radical, thus maintaining both the auditory cue and the conceptual essence of the plant within the character's evolved visual form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
池塘里开着莲花。
我喜欢莲花的清香。
莲蓬里面有许多莲子。
夏天是欣赏莲花的好季节。
妈妈买了一些新鲜的莲藕。
这片湿地是莲花生长的理想环境。
莲的生长离不开淤泥的滋养。
他的画以莲为主题，象征高洁品格。