花
flower; to spend (money/time)
HSK level
- Pinyin
- huā
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 7
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 朵 / 束
Stroke order for 花
花 is written with 7 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 花 mean?
花 (huā) is one of the highest-yield characters in HSK 3 because it carries two completely separate everyday meanings.
As a noun, 花 is 'flower' — the plant or blossom (一朵花 'a flower,' 一束花 'a bouquet'). As a verb, 花 means 'to spend,' used with money OR time: 花钱 (spend money), 花时间 (spend time). English splits these into two unrelated words; Chinese uses the same character, and learners must read context to know which is meant.
There is no shared etymology you need to memorize — just learn the two meanings as twins. 花 also appears in many compounds: 花园 (garden), 鲜花 (fresh flowers), 花费 (expenditure), and 花样 (variety, pattern). The verb sense is what shows up most often in daily speech.
Example sentences
这朵花真漂亮。
Zhè duǒ huā zhēn piàoliang.
This flower is really pretty.
spoken
我花了二十块钱。
Wǒ huāle èrshí kuài qián.
I spent twenty yuan.
spoken
学中文要花很多时间。
Xué Zhōngwén yào huā hěn duō shíjiān.
Learning Chinese takes a lot of time.
neutral
他给妈妈送了一束花。
Tā gěi māma sòngle yí shù huā.
He gave his mom a bouquet of flowers.
neutral
别花太多钱。
Bié huā tài duō qián.
Don't spend too much money.
spoken
Common phrases with 花
Synonyms
用 means 'to use' — broader than 花. You can 用时间 (use time) but 花时间 is more idiomatic for 'spend time on something.' For money, 花钱 is standard; 用钱 sounds slightly off.
花费 is the formal/written version of 'to spend' or 'expenditure.' Use 花 in everyday speech (我花了一百块); use 花费 in reports or formal writing (这次旅行花费了五千元).
鲜花 specifically means 'fresh-cut flowers,' usually for gifts or decoration. 花 is the general word. 送鲜花 (give fresh flowers) is more romantic-sounding than just 送花.
Don't confuse 花 with
画 means 'to paint / a painting' — same pinyin syllable but fourth tone, completely different meaning. 画花 (paint flowers) vs 花 (a flower). Learners often confuse them in writing.
化 means 'to change / -ize' (变化 'change,' 文化 'culture'). Looks similar at small font sizes. Different character, different meaning.
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
Meet 花 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 花 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.