稂 (láng) - Weedy grass & barnyard grass

稂Tone 2

láng ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

稂 · láng

Weedy grass;

barnyard grass;

refers to any weed that harms crops;

metaphorically refers to harmful people or things.

Weedy grassbarnyard grassrefers to any weed that harms crops

Usage highlights

Weedy grassBarnyard grassHarmful weedsGood and bad mixed togetherWeed out the bad

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 禾— grain; cereal crops
  • 稻— rice plant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The field was overgrown with weeds (稂莠).
  • We need to remove harmful elements (稂莠不齐).
  • Ancient texts mention this weedy grass (稂草).

Collocations

  • Weedy grass(稂草)
  • Barnyard grass(稂莠)
  • Harmful weeds(稂害)
  • Good and bad mixed together(稂莠不齐)
  • Weed out the bad(除稂)

Idioms

  • The good and the bad are intermingled(稂莠不齐)
  • To eliminate the harmful and preserve the beneficial(去稂存良)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in agricultural contexts to describe weeds that compete with crops.
  • Metaphorically extended to describe harmful elements in society or organizations.
  • Often appears in classical Chinese texts discussing governance and moral cultivation.

FAQ