Definition

Noun: 1. A bird species: The common name for a small passerine bird, specifically the Red Munia or Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava), known for the bright red breeding plumage of the male. 2. A patterned appearance: Describes an animal (like a chicken or snake) having a coat, feathers, or skin with small, scattered white spots, resembling plum or apricot blossoms.

Usage Examples

• As a bird name:
  • Con mai hoa đực có bộ lông màu đỏ rực rỡ vào mùa sinh sản. (The male red munia has brilliantly red plumage during the breeding season.)
  • Tiếng hót của mai hoa nghe rất vui tai. (The song of the red avadavat is very pleasant to hear.)
• Describing spotted patterns:
  • Con gà mái này là giống gà mai hoa. (This hen is a spotted chicken breed.)
  • Rắn mai hoa là một loài rắn không có độc. (The spotted snake is a non-venomous snake species.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "mai hoa" is primarily used in zoological contexts or in traditional descriptions of animals. In modern everyday conversation, when referring to the bird, people might use its more specific name "chim mai hoa" (mai hoa bird) for clarity.
• The pattern description "mai hoa" is somewhat literary or specialized. In general description, "lốm đốm trắng" (dotted with white) is more common.

Variants and Related Words

• Chim mai hoa: Specifies the bird, adding "chim" (bird) for clarity.
• Gà mai hoa: A chicken with a white-spotted pattern.
• Rắn mai hoa: A snake with a white-spotted pattern.

Synonyms

• For the bird: Bengali rouge (an older, French-derived term), Red Avadavat.
• For the pattern: lốm đốm, hoa văn lốm đốm trắng (speckled, white-speckled pattern).

Notes on Different Meanings

1. Ornithological Meaning (Primary): Refers specifically to the bird.
2. Descriptive Zoological Meaning: Functions as an adjective to describe a spotted pattern on certain animals, drawing a visual analogy to the flower of the plum/apricot tree (hoa mai). This meaning is less common than the bird name.

noun

1. (bird) red munia