莽 (mǎng) - thick, dense vegetation & wilderness

莽Tone 3

mǎng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

莽 · mǎng

thick, dense vegetation;

wilderness;

reckless, rash, impetuous;

rude, uncouth

thick, dense vegetationwildernessreckless, rash, impetuous

Usage highlights

dense vegetationwildernessrash actionreckless personrude and crudeimpetuous youth

Synonyms

  • 鲁— rash, crude
  • 粗— coarse, rude
  • 野— wild, uncivilized

Antonyms

  • 慎— cautious, prudent
  • 细— careful, meticulous
  • 文— cultured, refined

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The forest is dense and overgrown (莽莽森林).
  • He acted rashly without thinking (莽撞行事).
  • The wilderness stretches for miles (莽原千里).
  • A crude and uncouth person(粗莽之人)

Collocations

  • dense vegetation(莽莽)
  • wilderness(莽原)
  • rash action(莽撞)
  • reckless person(莽夫)
  • rude and crude(粗莽)
  • impetuous youth(鲁莽少年)

Idioms

  • Rash and impetuous(鲁莽灭裂)
  • A hero from the wilderness(草莽英雄)
  • Crude and reckless(粗鲁莽撞)
  • Acting without thinking(莽莽撞撞)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted dense grass or jungle, representing untamed nature.
  • In historical context, '草莽' referred to commoners or rebels outside official society.
  • The character conveys both natural wilderness and human recklessness in Chinese thought.

FAQ