萝 (luó) - Radish & trailing plants

萝Tone 2

luó ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

萝 · luó

Radish;

trailing plants;

climbing vines;

used in names for various plants like radishes and carrots.

Radishtrailing plantsclimbing vines

Usage highlights

CarrotRadishPineappleConvolvulusVine plantFungus

Synonyms

  • 藤— vine, creeper
  • 蔓— tendril, vine

Antonyms

  • 树— tree (upright vs. trailing)
  • 木— wood, tree (woody vs. herbaceous)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I bought carrots at the market (胡萝卜).
  • She grows radishes in her garden (萝卜).
  • The morning glory is a climbing vine (牵牛花是一种萝).
  • Pineapple is a tropical fruit (菠萝).

Collocations

  • Carrot(胡萝卜)
  • Radish(萝卜)
  • Pineapple(菠萝)
  • Convolvulus(牵牛花属植物)
  • Vine plant(藤萝)
  • Fungus(松萝)

Idioms

  • Carrots and cabbage, each has his own love(萝卜青菜，各有所爱)
  • A radish in a pit — not much to choose(坑里的萝卜)
  • Pulling up a radish — bringing the mud with it(拔起萝卜带出泥)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 萝 originally referred to various trailing or climbing plants in classical Chinese.
  • In modern usage, 萝卜 specifically means radish, while 胡萝卜 means carrot.
  • The character appears in names of various edible plants, giving it agricultural and culinary associations.

FAQ