梅花
méihuā · HSK 6
plum blossom
🌸♣ méi = plum + huā = flower — the blossom that blooms in winter snow
The plum tree flowers while snow still covers the ground, a symbol of resilience in Chinese culture. The same word names the clubs suit in playing cards, because the three-lobed club shape echoes a plum blossom's silhouette.
花 — grass radical 艹 + 化 (change/phonetic)
花 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The top 艹 (grass) signals the plant meaning, while 化 ('change, transform') gives the sound and hints at how buds change into blossoms. It originally meant 'flower' or 'blossom' and later extended to 'flowery, patterned, to spend.'