马莲

馬蓮

mǎlián

noun #27,709

Meanings

1 Iris lactea (Chinese iris; a type of wild iris plant)
2 reed-like grass used for tying or weaving (in some regional dialects)

Characters

horse; large; Ma (surname)

lotus; connected

Examples

HSK 6

她用马莲把粽子扎好，放入锅中煮。

Tā yòng mǎlián bǎ zòngzi zā hǎo, fàng rù guō zhōng zhǔ.

She tied the zongzi with iris leaves and placed them in the pot to cook.

HSK 7-9

马莲草在北方的田野里随处可见。

Mǎlián cǎo zài běifāng de tiányě lǐ suíchùkějiàn.

Chinese iris grows everywhere in the fields of northern China.

Tips

culture

马莲 (Iris lactea) leaves are traditionally used in northern China to tie zongzi (粽子, sticky rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival. The plant is common in grasslands and is also used as animal fodder.

Stroke Order

马 mǎ

莲 lián