莛 (tíng) - Stalk & stem of a plant, especially referring to the

莛Tone 2

tíng ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

檀婷

莛 · tíng

Stalk;

stem of a plant, especially referring to the slender, upright stem of grasses or herbs.

Stalkstem of a plant, especially referring to the

Usage highlights

Wheat stalkReed stalkFlower stemPlant stalkSlender stalkBrittle stem

Synonyms

  • 茎— stem; stalk (more common general term)
  • 秆— stalk (especially of cereal plants)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The wheat stalk is slender (麦莛细长).
  • He used a reed stalk as a pointer (他用芦苇莛做指示棒).
  • The flower stem is very straight (花莛很直).

Collocations

  • Wheat stalk(麦莛)
  • Reed stalk(苇莛)
  • Flower stem(花莛)
  • Plant stalk(草莛)
  • Slender stalk(细莛)
  • Brittle stem(脆莛)

Idioms

  • To use a stalk to measure the depth of the sea(以莛撞钟)
  • Like a stalk hitting a bell(莛叩钟鸣)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese texts, '莛' often appears in metaphorical contexts, contrasting something small and insignificant (the stalk) with something large and profound (the bell, the sea).
  • The character is composed of the grass radical (艹) and the phonetic component 廷 (tíng), indicating its association with plants.

FAQ