花间一壶酒

花間一壺酒

huājiānyīhújiǔ

phrase

Meanings

1 a jug of wine among the flowers
2 (image of solitary drinking) the classic Li Bai scene of drinking alone in a flower garden
3 (lit.) among the flowers, one pot of wine

Characters

among (花间 = among the flowers)

Examples

李白那句花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲，写尽了孤独。

Lǐ Bái nà jù huā jiān yī hú jiǔ, dú zhuó wú xiāng qīn, xiě jìn le gūdú.

Li Bai's 'a jug of wine among the flowers, drinking alone with no companion' captures loneliness completely.

庭院里月光洒下，真是花间一壶酒的意境。

Tíngyuàn lǐ yuèguāng sǎ xià, zhēn shì huā jiān yī hú jiǔ de yìjìng.

Moonlight spilled into the courtyard — truly the mood of 'a jug of wine among the flowers.'

Tips

history

Opening of 李白《月下独酌·其一》(Li Bai, Tang): 花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲。举杯邀明月，对影成三人 (A jug of wine among the flowers, drinking alone with no companion near. I raise my cup and invite the bright moon; with my shadow, we become three). One of Li Bai's most beloved poems — solitude transfigured into companionship with the moon and his own shadow.

usage

壶 here = a wine jug/pot (not a teapot). Usually quoted with at least the second line 独酌无相亲; the full four-line opening is often memorized as a unit.

Stroke Order

花 huā

间 jiān

一 yī

壶 hú

酒 jiǔ