百合, photo 1 of 2
百合, photo 2 of 2

Photo credit

Photo
Edible lily bulbs for sale Kanagawa Japan - 2023 Dec 24
By
Nesnad
Licence
CC BY 4.0
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Cropped and resized

Photo credit

Photo
Gansu dried lily
By
Fumikas Sagisavas
Licence
CC0
Source
Wikimedia Commons
Changes
Cropped and resized

百合

bǎihé
noun HSK 7-9 #9,184

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 lily (the flower)
  2. 2 yuri; sapphic romance genre

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables · In season: autumn

The bulb of an edible lily: thick white scales that break apart, starchy and mildly sweet, in some kinds a little bitter. Fresh scales are stir-fried with celery; dried ones are soaked for soups and congee.

Examples

HSK 2
Tā zuì xǐhuan de huā shì bǎihé.
Her favorite flower is the lily.
HSK 7-9
Bǎihéhuā dàibiǎo chúnjié.
Lilies represent purity.

Tips

culture
百合 literally means 'hundred unions' and symbolizes unity and long-lasting love. Lilies are popular at weddings in China.
usage
In anime/manga subculture, 百合 refers to the 'yuri' genre depicting romantic relationships between women, borrowed from Japanese usage.

Stroke Order

百 bǎi
合 hé