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朵

duǒ
measure word HSK 5 #4,833

Meanings

  1. 1 classifier for flowers, clouds, and similar things

Examples

HSK 2
他送给她一朵花。
Tā sònggěi tā yī duǒ huā.
He gave her a flower.
HSK 5
花园里有一朵漂亮的玫瑰花。
Huāyuánlǐ yǒu yī duǒ piàoliang de méiguihuā.
There's a beautiful rose in the garden.
HSK 6
天上飘着几朵白云。
Tiānshàng piāo zhe jǐ duǒ báiyún.
A few white clouds drifted across the sky.

Tips

usage
朵 is mainly used for flowers (花) and clouds (云). It evokes something soft, delicate, and blooming.
memory
朵 looks a bit like a flower on a stem - the top part is the blossom, the bottom part 木 is like the stalk.

Components

radical
木 mù
tree; wood
Bottom tree radical 木 - the indexing radical. Together with the curve above, 朵 pictures a tree bough drooping under the load of flowers or fruit, hence the original meaning 'cluster of blossoms hanging from a branch.' Today it is the standard measure word for flowers (一朵花) and clouds (一朵云).
semantic
几 jǐ
small table; how many
Top piece - historically a stylised drooping shape (a hanging cluster), not the standalone 几 'table' in meaning, just the same glyph. Pictures the bend of a branch under the weight of blossoms. Compound ideograph: weighed-down branch above, tree below.

Stroke Order

朵 duǒ