苕 (tiáo) - Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora) & sweet potato (regional usage)

苕Tone 2

tiáo ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 艹

上姝

苕 · tiáo

Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora);

sweet potato (regional usage);

reed flower;

also used in classical poetry.

Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora)sweet potato (regional usage)reed flower

Usage highlights

Chinese trumpet vinesweet potatoreed flowervine flowerornamental plant苕子

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The Chinese trumpet vine (凌霄花) is also called 苕.
  • In some regions, sweet potato is called 红苕 (hóngtiáo).
  • The reed flowers (苕花) bloom in autumn.
  • This is a type of ornamental vine (苕).

Collocations

  • Chinese trumpet vine(凌霄苕)
  • sweet potato(红苕)
  • reed flower(苕花)
  • vine flower(苕华)
  • ornamental plant(观赏苕)
  • vetch or milk vetch(苕子)

Idioms

  • As beautiful as the reed flower(如苕之华)
  • The glory of the reed(苕之荣)
  • Flowers of the marsh(泽畔之苕)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese poetry, 苕 often symbolizes fleeting beauty and the ephemeral nature of life.
  • In regional dialects, particularly in Sichuan and Hunan, 红苕 refers to sweet potato, an important staple food.
  • The character appears in the name of Tiaoxi (苕溪), a river in Zhejiang famous in Chinese literary history.

FAQ