Definitions

bèi (noun) flower bud

Etymology phono-semantic

plant

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "蓓" is a phonosemantic construct that integrates the grass radical to signify its botanical nature with the component "倍" primarily to indicate its pronunciation, and it has consistently denoted a flower bud since its formation. Its structural design clearly aligns it with vegetation through the radical, while the phonetic element guides its sound without contributing semantic content from its independent meaning of "double" or "times". The character's semantic range has remained narrowly focused on representing unopened flowers, particularly evident in the enduring compound "蓓蕾", and it has not experienced significant shifts in meaning over time. This stability reflects its origin as a later creation within the Chinese writing system, devised to precisely capture a specific aspect of plant life through a combination of radical and phonetic cues.

Example Sentences Hide

花园里有许多蕾。

Huāyuán lǐ yǒu xǔduō bèilěi.

There are many flower buds in the garden.

春天的蕾很美丽。

Chūntiān de bèilěi hěn měilì.

The flower buds in spring are very beautiful.

是我的朋友。

Bèibei shì wǒ de péngyǒu.

Beibei is my friend.

那些蕾即将开放。

Nàxiē bèilěi jíjiāng kāifàng.

Those flower buds are about to bloom.

园丁小心地呵护着蕾。

Yuándīng xiǎoxīn de hēhù zhe bèilěi.

The gardener carefully nurtures the flower buds.

雨后的蕾显得格外娇嫩。

Yǔ hòu de bèilěi xiǎnde géwài jiāonèn.

The flower buds after rain appear especially tender.

她的笑容像初绽的蕾。

Tā de xiàoróng xiàng chū zhàn de bèilěi.

Her smile is like a newly bloomed flower bud.

在微风中,摇曳的蕾预示着生命的活力。

Zài wēifēng zhōng, yáoyè de bèilěi yùshì zhe shēngmìng de huólì.

In the breeze, the swaying flower buds signify the vitality of life.