grass

Origin & mnemonic

The grass radical originates from an oracle-bone pictograph depicting three blades of grass sprouting from earth. The modern form with three horizontal strokes on top clearly represents the structure of grass rising from the ground.

Mnemonic: Three horizontal strokes on top resemble three grass blades sprouting from the base directly below them.

• 艹cǎo🔊

  grass radical 草字頭兒|草字头儿[cao3 zi4 tou2 r5]

  3 strokes

• 艺yì🔊

  skill

  4 strokes

• 艾ài🔊

  Chinese mugwort (Artemisia); moxa

  5 strokes

• 节jié🔊

  joint; node

  HSK 2

  5 strokes

• 艻lè🔊

  used in 蘿艻|萝艻[luo2 le4]

  5 strokes

• 艽jiāo🔊

  see 秦艽[qin2 jiao1]

  5 strokes

• 艿nǎi🔊

  see 芋艿[yu4 nai3]

  5 strokes

• 芀tiáo🔊

  old variant of 苕[tiao2]

  5 strokes

• 芒máng🔊

  awn (of cereals)

  6 strokes

• 芃péng🔊

  luxuriant growth

  6 strokes

• 芄wán🔊

  Metaplexis stauntoni

  6 strokes

• 芊qiān🔊

  green

  6 strokes

• 芋yù🔊

  taro

  6 strokes

• 芍sháo🔊

  Chinese peony

  6 strokes

• 芎xiōng🔊

  used in 芎藭|芎䓖[xiong1 qiong2] and 川芎[chuan1 xiong1]

  6 strokes

• 芏dù🔊

  used in 茳芏[jiang1 du4]

  6 strokes

• 芑qǐ🔊

  Panicum miliaceum

  6 strokes

• 芕suī🔊

  a kind of medicinal herb

  6 strokes

• 芗xiāng🔊

  aromatic herb used for seasoning

  6 strokes

• 芝zhī🔊

  Zoysia pungens

  6 strokes

• 芨jí🔊

  Bletilla hyacinthina (mucilaginous)

  6 strokes

• 花huā🔊

  HSK 1

  7 strokes

• 芙fú🔊

  used in 芙蓉[fu2 rong2], lotus

  7 strokes

• 苏sū🔊

  old variant of 蘇|苏[su1]

  7 strokes

• 芭bā🔊

  an unidentified fragrant plant mentioned in the Songs of Chu 楚辭|楚辞[Chu3 ci2]

  7 strokes

• 苇wěi🔊

  reed

  7 strokes

• 芬fēn🔊

  perfume

  7 strokes

• 芥jiè🔊

  mustard

  7 strokes

• 芽yá🔊

  bud

  HSK 7

  7 strokes

• 芳fāng🔊

  fragrant

  7 strokes

• 䒗qì🔊

  old variant of 芞[qi4]

  7 strokes

• 芈mǐ🔊

  to bleat (of a sheep)

  7 strokes

• 芘pí🔊

  Malva sylvestris

  7 strokes

• 芚tún🔊

  green sprout

  7 strokes

• 芜wú🔊

  overgrown with weeds

  7 strokes

• 芞qì🔊

  a kind of aromatic herb (old)

  7 strokes

• 芟shān🔊

  to cut down

  7 strokes

• 芡qiàn🔊

  Gorgon plant

  7 strokes

• 芣fú🔊

  used in 芣苡[fu2 yi3] and 芣苢[fu2 yi3]

  7 strokes

• 芤kōu🔊

  hollow

  7 strokes

• 芦lú🔊

  rush

  7 strokes

• 芧xù🔊

  Scirpis maritimus

  7 strokes

• 芩qín🔊

  Phragmites japonica

  7 strokes

• 芪qí🔊

  see 黃芪|黄芪[huang2 qi2]

  7 strokes

• 芫yán🔊

  used in 芫荽[yan2 sui5]

  7 strokes

• 芮ruì🔊

  small

  7 strokes

• 芯xīn🔊

  (bound form) the pith of the rush plant (used as a lampwick)

  7 strokes

• 芰jì🔊

  (archaic) water caltrop (Trapa natans)

  7 strokes