草 cǎo — grass; straw; draft (of a document); careless; rough; manuscript
小羊在草地上吃草。Xiǎo yáng zài cǎo dì shàng chī cǎo.The little sheep eat grass on the meadow.
Common words: 草地 (cǎo dì)、草原 (cǎo yuán)、起草 (qǐ cǎo)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "grass"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "grass", including 草 (cǎo), 莎 (shā / suō), 蓬 (péng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "grass" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 草 (cǎo), 莎 (shā / suō), 蓬 (péng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span cǎo, shā, suō, péng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 草 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 草 cǎograss; straw; draft (of a document); careless; rough; manuscriptUseful words: 草地, 草原
- 莎 shā / suō(insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundusUseful words: 莎草, 莎丽
- 蓬 péng(grass); disheveledUseful words: 朝气蓬勃, 蓬勃
Common words for these 3 "grass" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 草 (cǎo) — so "grass" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
草地cǎo dìlawn; meadow; sod; turf草原cǎo yuángrassland; prairie起草qǐ cǎoto make a draft; to draw up (plans)莎草suō cǎococo-grass; nut sedge (Cyperus rotundus)莎丽shā lìsari (loanword)阿莎力ā shā lì(coll.) straightforward; unreserved; openhearted (Tw) (loanword from Japanese "assari")朝气蓬勃zhāo qì péng bófull of youthful energy (idiom); vigorous; energetic; a bright spark蓬勃péng bóvigorous; flourishing; full of vitality蓬心péng xīnnarrow and bending; unkempt interior
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "grass".
莎 shā / suō — (insect); (phonetic); (grass); Cyperus rotundus
莎士比亚是英国著名的剧作家。Shā shì bǐ yà shì Yīng guó zhù míng de jù zuò jiā.Shakespeare was a famous English playwright.
Common words: 莎草 (suō cǎo)、莎丽 (shā lì)、阿莎力 (ā shā lì)
蓬 péng — (grass); disheveled
一阵风吹过，路边的蓬草随风摇摆。Yí zhèn fēng chuī guò, lù biān de péng cǎo suí fēng yáo bǎi.As a gust of wind passed, the weeds by the road swayed.
Common words: 朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó)、蓬勃 (péng bó)、蓬心 (péng xīn)
All 3 characters
Open 草、莎、蓬 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.