‹ Back to the text

花

noun

1. flower
2. blossom
3. bloom
4. the best or finest part of something

Etymology. From Old Japanese hana, of uncertain origin. The semantic extension to "the finest part" (as in 花の命 "flower of life") reflects the metaphorical use of flowers as symbols of beauty and transience in Japanese aesthetics.

Dictionary entry by Claude.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version