華

華 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+8 in traditional Chinese, 艸+7 in mainland China and Japanese, 12 strokes in Chinese in traditional Chinese, 10 strokes in mainland China and Japanese, 11 strokes in Korean, cangjie input 廿一廿十 (TMTJ), four-corner 4450₄, composition ⿱艹⿻丅⿱艹二)

• 𠎑, 嘩(哗), 墷, 嬅(𫰡), 㠏(㟆), 𭘲, 㦊(𫺆), 撶(𫼧), 澕, 璍, 曄(晔), 𦠜, 樺(桦), 燁(烨), 皣, 瞱(𬑓), 𬒢, 䅿, 𬚦, 𧑍, 㒯, 譁, 𨅯, 鏵(铧), 鞾(𫖇), 韡(𮧵), 驊(骅), 𩻮(𫚘), 𫛓, 𪟥, 鷨(𪉊), 𡪤, 曅, 𨶱

• 华 (Simplified Chinese)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1039, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31119
• Dae Jaweon: page 1497, character 12
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3213, character 1
• Unihan data for U+83EF
• Unihan data for U+FAB4

Historical forms of the character 華
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形) ; this was the original form of 花 (OC *hʷraː, “flower”). In the bronze inscription form, the top part of the glyph resembles flowers of a plant, and the bottom part (于) resembles its stalk and leaves. Also phono-semantic (形聲／形声) , with 于 (OC *ɢʷa) functioning as the phonetic part. In the seal script, 艸 (“grass; plant”) was added as a semantic component.

華 (𦻏) and 𠌶 were initially the same character, but they were erroneously split in Shuowen into two entries.

華

1. brilliance; magnificence

   光華／光华  ―  guānghuá  ―  brilliance

   • 若木在建木西，末有十日，其華照下地。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     若木在建木西，末有十日，其华照下地。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Huainanzi, 2^nd century BCE

     Ruòmù zài jiànmù xī, mò yǒu shí rì, qí huá zhào xiàdì. [Pinyin]

     The ruomu is west of the jianmu, and on its top are ten suns, whose brilliance shines on the earth.

2. (good) times; years; period

   年華／年华  ―  niánhuá  ―  good times

3. young; youthful
4. literary grace; talent for literature
5. prestige; status; fame
6. colourful; brilliant (especially of carvings and decorations)
7. magnificent; gorgeous; resplendent

   華麗／华丽  ―  huálì  ―  gorgeous; splendid

   • 五色點注，華羽參差。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     五色点注，华羽参差。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 3rd century, 鍾會 (Zhong Hui), 孔雀賦

     Wǔsè diǎnzhù, huá yǔ cēncī. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

8. delicious; tasty
9. essence; quintessence

   含英咀華／含英咀华  ―  hányīngjǔhuá  ―  to savour the merits of a literary work

   • 物華天寶，龍光射牛斗之墟。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     物华天宝，龙光射牛斗之墟。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 675, Wang Bo, 滕王閣序

     Wùhuátiānbǎo, lóngguāng shè niúdǒu zhī xū. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

10. (honorific) your; your honourable

    華誕／华诞  ―  huádàn  ―  birthday; your birthday

11. (exalted) Short for 華夏／华夏 (Huáxià): land of illustrious clothing and grand ritual—China; Chinese culture

    訪華／访华  ―  fǎnghuá  ―  to visit China

    駐華大使館／驻华大使馆  ―  zhùhuá dàshǐguǎn  ―  embassy in China

    華僑/華人／华侨/华人  ―  huáqiáo / huárén  ―  Chinese residing abroad

    • 裔不謀夏，夷不亂華。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      裔不谋夏，夷不乱华。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

      From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

      Yì bù móu xià, yí bù luàn huá. [Pinyin]

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

12. Short for 漢語／汉语 (Hànyǔ, “Chinese language”).
13. luxuriant; flourishing; prosperous

    繁華／繁华  ―  fánhuá  ―  prosperous

14. noble; influential; eminent
15. grey (of hair)

    • 故國神遊，多情應笑我，早生華髮。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      故国神游，多情应笑我，早生华发。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

      From: 1082, Su Shi, 念奴嬌·赤壁懷古

      Gùguó shényóu, duōqíng yīng xiào wǒ, zǎo shēng huáfà. [Pinyin]

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

16. flashy; extravagant; showy; ostentatious; florid

    華而不實／华而不实  ―  huá'érbùshí  ―  flashy and without substance

17. face powder

    鉛華／铅华  ―  qiānhuá  ―  lead face powder

18. (historical, obsolete) cover of a carriage
19. (obsolete) fruit (of a cucurbit plant)
20. Alternative form of 譁／哗 (“noisy”)

• (China):

華

1. Alternative form of 花 (huā, “flower; blossom”)

   • 皇皇者華，于彼原隰。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     皇皇者华，于彼原隰。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Huánghuáng zhě huá, yú bǐ yuán xí. [Pinyin]

     Brilliant are the flowers,
     On those level heights and the low grounds.

2. to flower; to blossom

   • 昔我往矣，黍稷方華。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     昔我往矣，黍稷方华。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Xī wǒ wǎng yǐ, shǔjì fāng huā. [Pinyin]

     When we were marching at first,
     The millets were in flower.

   • 桐始華，田鼠化為鴽，虹始見，萍始生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     桐始华，田鼠化为𫛪，虹始见，萍始生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Tóng shǐ huā, tiánshǔ huàwéi rú, hóng shǐ xiàn, píng shǐ shēng. [Pinyin]

     The Elaeococca begins to flower. Moles are transformed into quails. Rainbows begin to appear. Duckweed begins to grow.

3. (traditional Chinese medicine) flower pulse; weak pulse
4. to be dim-sighted; to be dazzled
5. to dissect; to cut up

華

1. (～山) Mount Hua (a mountain in Shaanxi)
2. Original form of 樺／桦 (huà, “birch”).
3. a surname

   華羅庚／华罗庚  ―  Huà Luógēng  ―  Hua Luogeng (mathematician)

• “華”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. flower
2. flashiness
3. brilliance, shine
4. beauty, splendor
5. fine, white powder
6. China, Chinese
7. sixty-one-year-old; kanreki

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC xwae); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huā):

• Go-on: け (ke, Jōyō ^†)^{←け (ke, historical)←くゑ (kwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwae); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huá):

• Go-on: げ (ge)^{←げ (ge, historical)←ぐゑ (gwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwaeH); compare Mandarin 華／华 (huà):

• Go-on: げ (ge)^{←げ (ge, historical)←ぐゑ (gwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: はな (hana, 華, Jōyō); はなさく (hanasaku, 華さく); はなやか (hanayaka, 華やか)
• Nanori: あき (aki); てる (teru); は (ha); はな (hana); はる (haru)

/kua/ → /kʷa/ → /ka/

From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwae).

• (Tokyo) か​ [káꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[4]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠]

• Some dictionaries apparently classify this reading as either goon or kan'yōon.

華(か) • (ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. flashiness, showiness

   Synonym: 虚飾 (kyoshoku)

• 華(か)を去(さ)り実(じつ)に就(つ)く (ka o sari jitsu ni tsuku)

華(か) • (Ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. a surname
2. a male or female given name

/pana/ → /fana/ → /hana/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pana.

• (Tokyo) はな​ [hànáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[4]
• IPA^(key): [ha̠na̠]

• 火事(かじ)と喧嘩(けんか)は江戸(えど)の華(はな) (kaji to kenka wa Edo no hana)

1. 枯木(こぼく)華(はな)開(ひら)く (koboku hana hiraku)

華(はな) • (Hana) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɸwa̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [화]

Wikisource 華 • (hwa) (hangeul 화)

1. bright; colorful

華: Hán Việt readings: hoa (戶(hộ)花(hoa)切(thiết))[1][2][3]
華: Nôm readings: hoa[1][2][3][4]

1. chữ Hán form of Hoa (“Hoa people”).