艾 (ài) - mugwort (Artemisia argyi) & to stop, cease

艾Tone 4

ài ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 艹

安

艾 · ài

mugwort (Artemisia argyi);

to stop, cease;

beautiful;

used in transliteration;

also a surname.

mugwort (Artemisia argyi)to stop, ceasebeautiful

Usage highlights

mugwortmoxibustionto stop, ceaseold agebeautifulsurname Ai

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 兴— to rise, prosper (antonym to the 'cease' sense)
  • 丑— ugly (antonym to the 'beautiful' sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Mugwort is used in traditional medicine (艾草).
  • The festival has not yet ended (方兴未艾).
  • She is over fifty years old (年逾五十，自称艾老).
  • This is Ai Weiwei's artwork (艾未未的艺术品).

Collocations

  • mugwort(艾草)
  • moxibustion(艾灸)
  • to stop, cease(方兴未艾)
  • old age(耆艾)
  • beautiful(少艾)
  • surname Ai(艾姓)

Idioms

  • Just unfolding, not yet declining(方兴未艾)
  • Three years of illness seeking mugwort(三年之病，求七年之艾)
  • The aged and the young(耆艾之年)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Mugwort (艾草) is a significant herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, especially in moxibustion (艾灸).
  • In ancient texts, '艾' was used to refer to something beautiful or fair, as in 少艾 (young and beautiful).
  • It is a common Chinese surname, with historical figures like Ai Qing (艾青), a famous poet.

FAQ