蓱 (píng) - Duckweed & floating aquatic plant

蓱Tone 2

píng ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

蓱 · píng

Duckweed;

floating aquatic plant;

also used in classical texts as a variant of 萍.

Duckweedfloating aquatic plantalso used in classical texts as a variant

Usage highlights

Duckweed plantFloating duckweedWater duckweedDuckweed gatheringDuckweed root

Synonyms

  • 萍— Duckweed (more common character)
  • 浮萍— Floating duckweed

Antonyms

  • 根— Root (opposite of rootless duckweed)
  • 树— Tree (opposite of small floating plant)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Duckweed floats on the water surface (蓱浮于水面).
  • The pond was covered with duckweed (池塘长满了蓱).
  • In ancient texts, 蓱 sometimes appears as a variant of 萍 (蓱 in classical texts).

Collocations

  • Duckweed plant(蓱草)
  • Floating duckweed(浮蓱)
  • Water duckweed(水蓱)
  • Duckweed gathering(采蓱)
  • Duckweed root(蓱根)

Idioms

  • Drifting duckweed with no fixed abode(泛蓱无根)
  • Duckweed meeting on the water(萍水相逢, sometimes written as 蓱水相逢)
  • Floating life like duckweed(人生如蓱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Duckweed symbolizes transience and rootlessness in Chinese culture due to its floating nature.
  • Often used in classical poetry to represent the wandering life or impermanence.
  • In some ancient texts, 蓱 appears as a variant character for the more common 萍.

FAQ