Meaning
莲
lián
Lotus
- 莲
- lotus
Rises clean from the mud: a classic symbol of purity.
Lotus in Chinese
The Chinese word for lotus is 莲 (lián). Rises clean from the mud: a classic symbol of purity. In traditional characters it is written 蓮.
莲
lián
Lotus
What 莲 means.
The lotus grows from mud yet opens clean. The Song dynasty scholar Zhou Dunyi praised it as 出淤泥而不染, “rising from the mud unstained”, and in Buddhism it stands for purity and awakening.
- 莲
- lotus
Simplified and traditional
莲
蓮
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 蓮 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 莲 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
莲花
lián huā
Lotus flower
- 莲
- lotus
- 花
- flower
The full word for the lotus flower.
About lotus in Chinese
How do you write lotus in Chinese?
Lotus is 莲 in Chinese, pronounced lián. Lotus
How do you pronounce 莲?
Say lián (second tone, rising). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 莲 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 蓮, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 莲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean lotus?
莲花 (lián huā): Lotus flower The full word for the lotus flower.
Is 莲 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. As a single character it works even at small sizes. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.