红梅 (hóngméi): red plum blossom

Measure Word

一朵红梅 duǒ

Meanings

1 red plum blossom
2 red plum (tree or flower, Prunus mume var.)
3 common female given name

Characters

Examples

HSK 2

院子里的红梅开了。

Yuànzi lǐ de hóngméi kāi le.

The red plum blossoms in the courtyard have opened.

HSK 4

她叫王红梅。

Tā jiào Wáng Hóngméi.

Her name is Wang Hongmei.

HSK 7-9

红梅在雪中盛开。

Hóngméi zài xuě zhōng shèngkāi.

Red plum blossoms bloom in the snow.

Tips

culture

Plum blossoms 梅花 are one of the 四君子 ('Four Gentlemen' of Chinese painting: plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum). They open in late winter, symbolizing perseverance. The opera 红梅赞 ('Ode to the Red Plum') from 江姐 made 红梅 a Communist-era symbol of revolutionary courage; combined with the auspicious color red, this is why it became such a popular given name for women born in the 1950s-70s.

usage

As a personal name, very common for women of older generations, like 'Susan' or 'Linda' in mid-century English. Sounds slightly dated to younger Chinese ears today.