荷花
hé huā · HSK 7
lotus
🪷 荷 (hé) lotus + 花 (huā) flower = lotus flower; 花 is the generic word for flower
荷花 stacks the lotus morpheme 荷 onto 花 flower, so it literally reads lotus-flower. The second syllable huā is the same 花 found in many flower names, a reliable hook for the er-ending sound.
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.'