艸 (cǎo) - Grass, plants & the grass/plant radical used in Chinese characters (Kangxi

艸Tone 3

cǎo ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 艸

偲嫦

艸 · cǎo

Grass, plants;

the grass/plant radical used in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 140).

Grass, plantsthe grass/plant radical used in Chinese characters (Kangxi

Usage highlights

Grass radicalPlant charactersHerbal medicineFlowers and plantsVegetationWeeds

Synonyms

  • 草— grass, plant
  • 卉— various plants

Antonyms

  • 石— stone, rock
  • 金— metal

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The character 艸 represents grass (草).
  • It is used as a radical in many plant-related characters (艸部).
  • In ancient texts, 艸 was used for vegetation (植物).

Collocations

  • Grass radical(艸部)
  • Plant characters(艸字)
  • Herbal medicine(本草)
  • Flowers and plants(花草)
  • Vegetation(草木)
  • Weeds(雜艸)

Idioms

  • All kinds of grasses and trees(百艸千木)
  • Fragrant grass and beautiful flowers(香艸美人)
  • Grass and trees are like soldiers(草艸如兵)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the oldest Chinese radicals, representing vegetation and plant life.
  • Appears in many characters related to plants, herbs, and natural growth.
  • In calligraphy, it's the origin of the grass radical form used in modern characters.

FAQ