Standard Lemma guide

hwatu

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈfwɑːtu/
  • /ˈhwɑːtu/
  • /ˈwɑːtu/
  • rhymes with -ɑːtu

1

noun

Meaning 1

Hanafuda playing cards, especially hard plastic cards in a Korean style.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any game played using those cards, most commonly go-stop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Korean 화투 (hwatu), a Sino-Korean word from 花 (“flower”) + 鬪 (“fight”).