hương sen

Definition

Noun:
- Lotus seed pod: The funnel-shaped floral receptacle of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera), which contains the lotus seeds.
- Showerhead; Watering can rose: An object or device resembling the shape of a lotus seed pod, attached to a water pipe in a bathroom or to the spout of a watering can to make water spray out like rain.

Usage Examples

Noun (Lotus seed pod):
- Sau khi hoa sen tàn, hương sen sẽ phát triển và chứa các hạt sen bên trong. (After the lotus flower withers, the lotus seed pod will develop and contain lotus seeds inside.)
- Hương sen khô thường được dùng trong trang trí và các bài thuốc Đông y. (Dried lotus seed pods are often used in decoration and traditional Eastern medicine remedies.)
Noun (Showerhead/Watering can rose):
- Vòi hoa sen trong phòng tắm bị tắc, có lẽ do cặn bám trong hương sen. (The shower in the bathroom is clogged, perhaps due to sediment buildup in the showerhead.)
- Để tưới cây nhẹ nhàng, bạn nên gắn hương sen vào bình tưới. (To water plants gently, you should attach a watering can rose to the watering can.)

Advanced Usage

"Hương sen" in cultural context: In Vietnamese culture, the lotus plant, including its seed pod, is a symbol of purity, resilience, and beauty. The term can evoke these connotations beyond its literal meaning.
- Hình ảnh hương sen trong nghệ thuật tượng trưng cho sự thanh khiết và sinh sôi. (The image of the lotus seed pod in art symbolizes purity and propagation.)

Variants and Related Words

Đài sen: Another term for the lotus receptacle or seed pod, often used interchangeably with "hương sen" in the botanical sense.
Vòi hoa sen: Specifically refers to the entire shower fixture, where "hương sen" is the perforated head part.
Bông sen: Lotus flower.
Hạt sen: Lotus seed.
Ngó sen: Lotus stem.

Synonyms

For "lotus seed pod": Đài sen, receptacle.
For "showerhead": Đầu sen, vòi phun tắm.
For "watering can rose": Đầu tưới hoa sen, sprinkler head (for a watering can).

Related Phrases (Compound Terms)

Tắm vòi hoa sen: To take a shower. (Note: This phrase uses "vòi hoa sen", a compound containing "sen", not the exact target word "hương sen").
Bình tưới có hương sen: A watering can with a rose/sprinkler head.

Related Idioms

"Sen trong bùn" / "Gần bùn mà chẳng hôi tanh mùi bùn": "Lotus in the mud" / "Near the mud but not smelling of its foulness." This popular proverb uses the lotus plant as a whole to symbolize purity and integrity despite unfavorable surroundings. While it does not contain the exact phrase "hương sen", it is thematically related to the cultural significance of the lotus.