生いけ花ばな

also: せいか

い

け

ば

な

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

ikebana; Japanese flower arrangement

Only with reading いけばな

Refers to the traditional Japanese art of arranging flowers, emphasizing line, balance, and harmony. Often used in cultural contexts.

母ははは毎まい週しゅう生いけ花ばな教きょう室しつに通かよっている。
My mother attends an ikebana class every week.
床とこの間まに生いけ花ばなが飾かざってある。
An ikebana arrangement is displayed in the alcove.

noun

fresh flower; natural flower

Only with reading せいか

Used to refer to a living, natural flower, as opposed to an artificial one. Reading is せいか.

生せい花かを花か瓶びんに生いける。
I arrange fresh flowers in a vase.
この店みせでは生せい花かのみを扱あつかっています。
This shop deals only in fresh flowers.

See all 47 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

生いけ花ばなを習ならうto learn ikebana
祖そ母ぼは若わかいころ生いけ花ばなを習ならっていた。
My grandmother studied ikebana when she was young.
生せい花かを飾かざるto display fresh flowers
受うけ付つけには生せい花かを飾かざっている。
Fresh flowers are displayed at the reception desk.
生いけ花ばなを生いけるto arrange flowers (in the ikebana style)
彼かの女じょは毎まい週しゅう、床とこの間まに生いけ花ばなを生いけている。
She arranges ikebana in the tokonoma every week.
生いけ花ばなを教おしえるto teach ikebana
先せん生せいは長なが年ねん、地ち域いきの教きょう室しつで生いけ花ばなを教おしえている。
The teacher has taught ikebana at a local class for many years.

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
花flower
活lively, resuscitation, being helped

Related words

華か道どう sense 1
華道 is the formal, traditional term for the art of flower arrangement, while 生け花 is the everyday word for the practice or an arrangement itself.
立りっ花か
生け花 is the general term for Japanese flower arrangement, while 立花 refers specifically to the formal, upright style within it.
フラワーアレンジメント
生け花 refers specifically to the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging, while フラワーアレンジメント is a broader term that also covers Western-style floral design.

Opposites

ドライフラワー
生花 refers to fresh, living-cut flowers, the opposite of ドライフラワー which are dried and no longer fresh.

Don't confuse with

フラワーアレンジメント sense 1
フラワーアレンジメント refers to Western-style flower arranging with its own techniques and aesthetics, whereas 生け花 follows traditional Japanese principles of line and space.
聖せい火か
生花 (fresh-cut or arranged flowers) shares the せいか reading with 聖火 but has nothing to do with fire.

Built from

生いける+花はな

Written forms

生いけ花ばなUsage28%
Standard kanji spelling for ikebana; high priority.
生花Usage47%
- いけばな
  Common variant for ikebana; also read せいか for 'fresh flower'.
- せいか
  Standard spelling for 'fresh flower' reading せいか.
いけばなUsage23%
活花Usage2%
rarely-used kanji form
- いけばな
  Rarely used kanji form for ikebana; also read せいか for 'fresh flower'.
- せいか
  Rarely used kanji form for 'fresh flower' reading せいか.
活いけ花ばなUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form for ikebana.
せいか

Etymology

Compound of 生け (ike, 'arranging, keeping alive') + 花 (hana, 'flower'), with rendaku voicing. The spelling 生花 is also used for the on'yomi reading せいか meaning 'fresh flower'.