Meaning & use
bonsai tree
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Meaning
nouncountable
A small tree or shrub grown in a pot and pruned to keep it miniature, in the Japanese art of bonsai.
Grammar: Countable: one bonsai tree, two bonsai trees. Also called simply a bonsai.
Patterns
- a bonsai tree
- grow a bonsai tree
- prune a bonsai tree
She keeps a bonsai tree on her windowsill.
He has been growing bonsai trees for over ten years.
The bonsai tree needs careful watering and regular pruning.
Word forms
| plural | bonsai trees |
|---|
Common combinations
- grow a bonsai tree
- It takes patience to grow a bonsai tree from a seedling.
- prune a bonsai tree
- You should prune a bonsai tree in the right season.
- miniature bonsai tree
- The miniature bonsai tree fits perfectly on a desk.
- bonsai tree care
- Bonsai tree care involves the right amount of light and water.
- a potted bonsai tree
- They bought a potted bonsai tree as a housewarming gift.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bonsai
- The shorter form is more common and can refer to the tree or the art; 'bonsai tree' is used when you want to be clear it is a tree.
Commonly confused: bonsai tree or banzai?
bonsai tree vs banzai
Banzai is a Japanese battle cry; bonsai is the miniature tree.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The plural is 'bonsai trees', and 'on her balcony' is the correct preposition. Option 1 has wrong plural, option 2 has wrong plural, option 3 uses 'in' instead of 'on'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bonsai tree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.