Definition

1. Noun:
   • Pagoda tree / Japanese pagoda tree: A type of tree (scientific name: Styphnolobium japonicum) known for its clusters of small, creamy-yellow or white flowers.
   • The flower of this tree: Refers specifically to the fragrant blossoms of the pagoda tree.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bóng cây hoè tỏa mát cả một góc sân. (The pagoda tree's shade cools an entire corner of the yard.)
  • Hoa hoè nở trắng xóa vào đầu hè. (The pagoda tree flowers bloom in a profusion of white in early summer.)
  • Mùi hương hoè thoang thoảng trong gió. (The faint fragrance of pagoda tree flowers is carried on the wind.)

Advanced Usage

• "hoa hoè": This common compound specifically emphasizes the flower. It can be used literally or metaphorically to describe something showy but insubstantial.
  • Cô ấy chỉ là hoa hoè, không có thực tài. (She's all show, like pagoda tree flowers, with no real talent.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hoa hoè (n): Pagoda tree blossom. Often used in the idiom "hoa hoè hoa sói" to mean excessive ornamentation or flashy but meaningless display.

Synonyms

• Pagoda tree: The common English name for the plant.
• Japanese pagoda tree: Another precise common name.
• Scholar tree: A less common alternative name.

Related Idioms

• Hoa hoè hoa sói: To be overly ornate, flashy, or pretentious; to put on airs.
  • Bài phát biểu toàn hoa hoè hoa sói, không có nội dung gì. (The speech was all flashy ornamentation with no substance.)