noun HSK 2
grass · straw · herb · draft (rough copy)
Meaning
草 is a common word referring to grass, weeds, or herbaceous plants in general. It can also mean a rough draft or preliminary version of something, and appears in many compound words related to plants, writing, and informal things.
Usage
In everyday speech, 草 most often refers to grass or weeds you see outdoors. It's also used in compounds like 草稿 (cǎogǎo, 'draft') for preliminary writing. In informal internet slang, 草 can be a mild expletive derived from its visual similarity to a vulgar character, though learners should avoid this usage.
Examples
- 01公园里的草地很绿。.The grass in the park is very green.
- 02我先写了一份草稿。.I wrote a draft first.
Measure words
- 根一根草
- 棵一棵草
Common collocations
- 草地grassland, lawn
- 草稿draft
- 野草wild grass, weed
- 草原prairie, grassland
Origin
The character 草 shows the grass radical 艹 on top, which appears in many plant-related characters. The character originally depicted plants growing from the ground.