Definition
盆栽 covers two related but distinct concepts in English: a general 'potted plant' (any plant grown in a pot) and 'bonsai' — the Japanese-influenced art of growing miniature trees in shallow containers with careful pruning and shaping. When Chinese speakers say 盆栽, context determines which meaning is intended; the word itself doesn't distinguish between a simple houseplant and an artfully trained miniature tree.
n.
potted plantbonsai (a miniature tree or shrub artistically shaped in a container)
Examples
- 盆栽。Zhè pén pén zāi shì péngyou sòng wǒ de shēngrì lǐwù.This potted plant is a birthday gift from a friend.
- 盆栽。Tā huā le hǎo jǐ nián shíjiān bǎ zhè kē pén zāi xiūjiǎn chéng yōuměi de xíngzhuàng.He spent several years pruning this bonsai into an elegant shape.
- 盆栽，。Zhè jiā diàn lǐ mài de pén zāi pǐnzhǒng hěn duō, cóng pǔtōng lǜzhí dào míngguì pénjǐng dōu yǒu.This shop sells many kinds of potted plants, from ordinary greenery to precious bonsai.
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