蓬

péng

艹 + 逢

Definitions

péng (adjective) disheveled; messy

péng (adjective) luxuriant; growing abundantly

péng (noun) fleabane plant

Etymology phono-semantic

plant

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 逢

About

蓬 (péng) is a phono-semantic compound combining the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) with the phonetic component 逢 (féng). It originally named a plant, fleabane or raspberry, known for its fluffy, easily scattered seeds. The plant's wild, untamed appearance and drifting seeds led the character to take on adjectival meanings like overgrown, fluffy, or disheveled, and it is especially used to describe messy, uncombed hair.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的头发很蓬松。

Tā de tóufa hěn péngsōng.

Her hair is very fluffy.

蓬松的枕头很舒服。

Péngsōng de zhěntou hěn shūfu.

Fluffy pillows are very comfortable.

花园里的草长得蓬乱。

Huāyuán lǐ de cǎo zhǎng de péngluàn.

The grass in the garden grows disheveled.

经济发展蓬勃有力。

Jīngjì fāzhǎn péngbó yǒulì.

The economic development is vigorous and strong.

蓬莱是传说中的仙岛。

Pénglái shì chuánshuō zhōng de xiāndǎo.

Penglai is a legendary fairy island.

新公司呈现蓬勃生机。

Xīn gōngsī chéngxiàn péngbó shēngjī.

The new company shows vigorous vitality.

这场雨让野草蓬勃丛生。

Zhè chǎng yǔ ràng yěcǎo péngbó cóngshēng.

This rain made the weeds grow vigorously and densely.

蓬松的云朵在蓝天飘浮。

Péngsōng de yúnduǒ zài lántiān piāofú.

Fluffy clouds float in the blue sky.

Related Characters

Component: 艹

Component: 逢

蓬