莲叶何田田

蓮葉何田田

liányè hé tiántián

quotation

Meanings

1 how lush are the lotus leaves
2 a scene of thick, verdant lotus foliage on a pond
3 (lit.) lotus leaves, how leaf-leafy

Characters

how (classical exclamative)

(reduplicated: lush, leafy)

Examples

HSK 6

画家笔下莲叶何田田，鱼戏其间。

Huàjiā bǐxià liányèhétiántián, yú xì qíjiān.

In the painter's brushwork, the lotus leaves spread out lushly, with fish playing among them.

HSK 7-9

夏日荷塘，莲叶何田田，令人心静。

Xiàrì hétáng, liányèhétiántián, lìngrén xīnjìng.

A lotus pond in summer - the lotus leaves so lush and dense - calms the heart.

Tips

history

From the Han yuefu (汉乐府) folk song 《江南》: 江南可采莲，莲叶何田田。鱼戏莲叶间... (In Jiangnan one may pick lotus; the lotus leaves, how lush! Fish play among the lotus leaves...) One of the earliest, most beloved Chinese folk poems - recited by schoolchildren today.

usage

田田 (tiántián) is a descriptive reduplication meaning 'thick, leafy, spreading' - nothing to do with the 'field' meaning of 田. This reduplicated usage is largely archaic and poetic.

Stroke Order

莲 lián

叶 yè

何 hé

田 tián