翻花绳

翻花繩

fānhuāshéng

noun

Meanings

1 cat's cradle (string figure game)
2 to play cat's cradle

Characters

to flip / to turn over

flower / pattern

Examples

小时候下课我们常玩翻花绳。

Xiǎoshíhou xiàkè wǒmen cháng wán fānhuāshéng.

As kids we often played cat's cradle during recess.

奶奶用一根毛线教我翻花绳。

Nǎinai yòng yì gēn máoxiàn jiāo wǒ fānhuāshéng.

Grandma taught me cat's cradle with a piece of yarn.

Tips

culture

A two-player string game found in many cultures. Chinese variants call successive patterns 面条 (noodles), 降落伞 (parachute), 金鱼 (goldfish), etc. Common nostalgia trigger for anyone who grew up before smartphones.

Stroke Order

翻 fān

花 huā

绳 shéng