罂粟

罌粟

yīngsù

noun #20,798

Measure Word

一株罂粟 zhū

Meanings

1 poppy
2 opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)

Characters

a type of long-necked jar / (used in 罂粟)

millet / grain (the seed resembles millet)

Examples

罂粟花非常美丽，但其提取物鸦片具有强烈的成瘾性。

Yīngsù huā fēicháng měilì, dàn qí tíqǔwù yāpiàn jùyǒu qiángliè de chéngyǐn xìng.

The poppy flower is very beautiful, but its extract opium is highly addictive.

在中国，种植罂粟是违法的。

Zài Zhōngguó, zhòngzhí yīngsù shì wéifǎ de.

Growing poppies is illegal in China.

Tips

history

罂粟 is inextricably linked to the Opium Wars (鸦片战争, 1839-1842 and 1856-1860), when Britain forced China to open its ports to the opium trade. The trauma of these wars is foundational to modern Chinese national identity, and the word 罂粟 carries deep historical and moral weight in Chinese culture.

Stroke Order

罂 yīng

粟 sù