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豆蔻

Mandarin · pinyin dòu kòu

cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
fig. a girl's teenage years
maidenhood
a budding beauty

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Characters in this entry

豆: dòu · beans, peas; bean-shaped; Kangxi radical 151
蔻: kòu · 肉豆蔻 nutmeg, 豆蔻 cardamon

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4 · dou4 kou4

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dau6 kau3

Cantonese word readings for 豆蔻. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

cardamom, especially Cambodian cardamon (Wurfbainia vera) and Javanese cardamon (Wurfbainia compacta)
(abbreviation, alt-of) short for 肉豆蔻 (ròudòukòu, “nutmeg”)
(figurative) girl's teenage years (especially 13–14 years of age); maidenhood; budding beauty

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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