草 (cǎo) - grass & plants

草Tone 3

cǎo ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

草 · cǎo

grass;

plants;

herbs;

vegetation;

rough;

draft;

careless;

hasty;

vulgar;

slang term for marijuana.

grassplantsherbs

Usage highlights

grassherbal medicinedraft manuscriptcarelessstrawberrygrassland

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 木— tree; wood (as opposed to grass)
  • 花— flower (cultivated vs. wild grass)
  • 精— refined; meticulous (antonym to careless)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The grass is green (草是绿色的).
  • He wrote a draft (他写了草稿).
  • This is Chinese herbal medicine (这是中草药).
  • Don't be so careless (不要这么草率).

Collocations

  • grass(草)
  • herbal medicine(草药)
  • draft manuscript(草稿)
  • careless(草率)
  • strawberry(草莓)
  • grassland(草原)

Idioms

  • To mow grass and eliminate roots(斩草除根)
  • As fast as the wind and grass(风驰草靡)
  • To be startled at the sight of grass mistaken for an enemy(草木皆兵)
  • To stick to one's own way of life(草间求活)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, grass symbolizes resilience and vitality as it grows back after being cut.
  • The character appears in many plant-related terms and traditional medicine concepts.
  • In modern slang, 草 is sometimes used as a euphemism for marijuana.
  • Grasslands (草原) hold cultural significance in Mongolian and northern Chinese traditions.

FAQ