grass

cǎo (cao3)

Radical no. 140 · 6 strokes (140 部首 · 6 140 bùshǒu · 6 huà)

Radical ⾋ (cǎo) — meaning: grass, 6 strokes.

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.

Characters with this radical (含此部首的字 hán cǐ bùshǒu de zì)

201 characters
  • qiáo

    used in 蕎麥|荞麦[qiao2 mai4]

    9 strokes

  • huì

    to flourish

    9 strokes

  • see 薺菜|荠菜[ji4 cai4]

    9 strokes

  • hūn

    strong-smelling vegetable (garlic etc)

    9 strokes

  • qián

    used in 蕁麻|荨麻[qian2 ma2]

    9 strokes

  • jìn

    Arthraxon ciliare

    9 strokes

  • sūn

    fragrant grass

    9 strokes

  • yīn

    (bound form) shade (of a tree)

    9 strokes

  • mǎi

    used in 苣蕒菜|苣荬菜[qu3 mai5 cai4]

    9 strokes

  • hóng

    used in 葒草|荭草[hong2 cao3]

    9 strokes

  • zhòu

    (dialect) to wrap with straw

    9 strokes

  • alternative name for taro (old)

    9 strokes

  • yán

    bamboo mat

    9 strokes

  • tíng

    stalk of grass

    9 strokes

  • do not

    10 strokes

  • shā

    katydid (family Tettigoniidae)

    10 strokes

  • used in 茉莉[mo4 li4]

    10 strokes

  • lái

    name of weed plant (fat hen, goosefoot, pigweed etc)

    10 strokes

  • huá

    magnificent

    10 strokes

  • lotus

    10 strokes

  • huò

    (literary) to catch; to capture

    HSK 4

    10 strokes

  • zhuāng

    variant of 莊|庄[zhuang1]

    10 strokes

  • lián

    lotus

    10 strokes

  • chú

    to mow or cut grass

    10 strokes

  • chǎi

    aromatic plant, possibly Dahurian angelica 白芷[bai2 zhi3] (archaic)

    10 strokes

  • xíng

    used in 滎陽|荥阳[Xing2 yang2] (the name of a place in Henan)

    10 strokes

  • yíng

    a glimmer

    10 strokes

  • rěn

    polemonium

    10 strokes

  • used in 荸薺|荸荠[bi2 qi2]

    10 strokes

  • Anaphalis yedoensis (pearly everlasting reed)

    10 strokes

  • thistle

    10 strokes

  • suī

    coriander

    10 strokes

  • to attend (an official function)

    10 strokes

  • used in 莆田[Pu2 tian2] (the name of a place in Fujian)

    10 strokes

  • méi

    (bound form) berry (e.g. strawberry, blackberry, loganberry)

    10 strokes

  • méng

    Fritillaria verticillata

    10 strokes

  • xìng

    Nymphoides peltatum

    10 strokes

  • shēn

    long

    10 strokes

  • jūn

    species of water plant

    10 strokes

  • yóu

    see 莜麥|莜麦[you2 mai4]

    10 strokes

  • cuò

    to chop straw fine for animals

    10 strokes

  • guǎn

    (district)

    10 strokes

  • yǒu

    Setaria viridis

    10 strokes

  • shāo

    jungle grass

    10 strokes

  • làng

    Scopalia japonica maxin

    10 strokes

  • membrane lining inside a cylindrical stem

    10 strokes

  • é

    zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria), plant rhizome similar to turmeric

    10 strokes

  • jié

    variant of 節|节[jie2]

    10 strokes

Related radicals (相关部首 xiāngguān bùshǒu)

Same stroke count or numerically adjacent in the 214-radical set.