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
  • huā

    flower

    HSK 1

    7 strokes

  • used in 芙蓉[fu2 rong2], lotus

    7 strokes

  • old variant of 蘇|苏[su1]

    7 strokes

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

    7 strokes

  • wěi

    reed

    7 strokes

  • fēn

    perfume

    7 strokes

  • jiè

    mustard

    7 strokes

  • bud

    HSK 7

    7 strokes

  • fāng

    fragrant

    7 strokes

  • old variant of 芞[qi4]

    7 strokes

  • to bleat (of a sheep)

    7 strokes

  • Malva sylvestris

    7 strokes

  • tún

    green sprout

    7 strokes

  • overgrown with weeds

    7 strokes

  • a kind of aromatic herb (old)

    7 strokes

  • shān

    to cut down

    7 strokes

  • qiàn

    Gorgon plant

    7 strokes

  • used in 芣苡[fu2 yi3] and 芣苢[fu2 yi3]

    7 strokes

  • kōu

    hollow

    7 strokes

  • rush

    7 strokes

  • Scirpis maritimus

    7 strokes

  • qín

    Phragmites japonica

    7 strokes

  • see 黃芪|黄芪[huang2 qi2]

    7 strokes

  • yán

    used in 芫荽[yan2 sui5]

    7 strokes

  • ruì

    small

    7 strokes

  • xīn

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

    7 strokes

  • (archaic) water caltrop (Trapa natans)

    7 strokes

  • fluorene C13H10

    7 strokes

  • zhǐ

    angelica (type of iris)

    7 strokes

  • yún

    common rue (Ruta graveolens)

    7 strokes

  • qín

    Chinese celery

    7 strokes

  • mào

    select

    7 strokes

  • fèi

    see 蔽芾[bi4 fei4]

    7 strokes

  • rèng

    weeds that regrow from cut-down roots

    7 strokes

  • cōng

    Boschniakia glabra

    7 strokes

  • biàn

    benzyl (chemistry)

    7 strokes

  • Drabanemerosa hebecarpa

    7 strokes

  • picene (C22H14)

    7 strokes

  • è

    acenaphthene (C12H10)

    7 strokes

  • xiàn

    amaranth (genus Amaranthus)

    7 strokes

  • cháng

    plant mentioned in Book of Songs, uncertainly identified as carambola or star fruit (Averrhoa carambola)

    7 strokes

  • cāng

    dark blue

    7 strokes

  • zhù

    used in 苧麻|苎麻[zhu4 ma2]

    7 strokes

  • used in 芣苡[fu2 yi3]

    7 strokes

  • used in 萵苣|莴苣[wo1 ju4]

    7 strokes

  • ruò

    to seem

    HSK 6

    8 strokes

  • bitter

    HSK 4

    8 strokes

  • yīng

    hero

    8 strokes

Related radicals (相关部首 xiāngguān bùshǒu)

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