cǎo
grass
straw
manuscript
draft (of a document)
careless
rough
CL:棵[ke1],撮[zuo3],株[zhu1],根[gen1]
yě cǎo
weeds
mistress or prostitute (old)
mù cǎo
pasture
forage grass
pasturage
qǐ cǎo
to make a draft
to draw up (plans)
cǎo shuài
careless
negligent
sloppy
not serious
cǎo dì
lawn
meadow
sod
turf
CL:片[pian4]
bǎi cǎo
all kinds of grass
all kinds of flora
chóng cǎo
see 冬蟲夏草|冬虫夏草[dong1 chong2 xia4 cao3]
cǎo shū
grass script
cursive script (Chinese calligraphic style)
cǎo mǎng
a rank growth of grass
uncultivated land
wilderness
cǎo yuán
grassland
prairie
CL:片[pian4]
xiāng cǎo
aromatic herb
vanilla
alternative name for Eupatorium fortunei
(fig.) loyal and dependable person (old)
yì mǔ cǎo
motherwort (Leonurus heterophyllus or L. cardiaca)
shuǐ cǎo
water plants
habitat with water source and grass
cǎo méi
strawberry
CL:顆|颗[ke1]
(Taiwan) hickey
love bite
cǎo àn
draft (legislation, proposal etc)
dōng chóng xià cǎo
caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis)
běn cǎo
a book on Chinese (herbal) medicine
Chinese materia medica
niān huā rě cǎo
lit. to pick the flowers and trample the grass (idiom)
fig. to womanize
to frequent brothels
to sow one's wild oats
cǎo nǐ
first draft
to draw up (a first version)
liáng cǎo
army provisions
rations and fodder
běn cǎo gāng mù
Compendium of medical herbs 1596, compiled by Lǐ Shízhēn 李時珍|李时珍
cǎo méi zú
pampered young people unaccustomed to hardship (Tw)
lǎo niú chī nèn cǎo
lit. an old cow eats young grass (idiom)
fig. a May-December relationship
a romance where the man is significantly older than the woman
xiān cǎo
medicinal herb (genus Mesona)
grass jelly
xiào cǎo
the most handsome boy in the school (see also 校花[xiao4 hua1])
cǎo ní mǎ
grass mud horse
used as a substitute for 肏你媽|肏你妈[cao4 ni3 ma1], to mock or avoid censorship on the Internet
Cǎo tún
Caotun or Tsaotun town in Nantou county 南投縣|南投县[Nan2 tou2 xian4], central Taiwan
zǐ cǎo
red root gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon)
flowering plant whose roots provide purple dye
arnebia (plant genus in family Boraginaceae)
liáo cǎo
careless
slovenly
illegible (of handwriting)
hán xiū cǎo
mimosa
sensitive plant (that closes its leaves when touched)
cǎo jiān rén mìng
human life as grass (idiom); to kill people like scything grass
a politician acting with total disregard for the life of his countrymen
cǎo gū
straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea)
paddy straw mushroom
huāng cǎo
weeds
brush (vegetation)
wild grassland
cǎo shān
Grassy Hill (hill in Hong Kong)
ài cǎo
Asian mugwort or wormwood (genus Artemesia)
cǎo shí dòng wù
herbivore
herbivorous animal
qí huā yì cǎo
very rarely seen, unusual (idiom)
Shén nóng běn cǎo jīng
Shennong's compendium of materia medica, a Han dynasty pharmacological compendium, 3 scrolls
lǜ cǎo rú yīn
green grass like cushion (idiom); green meadow so inviting to sleep on
shǔ wěi cǎo
sage (Salvia officinalis)
jìng cǎo
tough upright grass
fig. a staunch character able to withstand tough test
xuān cǎo
Hemerocallis fulva
daylily
cǎo cǎo shōu bīng
to work vaguely then retreat (idiom); sloppy and half-hearted
half-baked
cǎo mù jiē bīng
lit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier (idiom); fig. to panic and treat everyone as an enemy
to feel beleaguered
Jiān cǎo píng
Jiancaoping district of Taiyuan city 太原市[Tai4 yuan2 shi4], Shanxi
wàng yōu cǎo
daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
qiàn cǎo
Rubia cordifolia
Indian madder
munjit
Dù fǔ cǎo táng
Du Fu's thatched cottage in Chengdu
Hū lún bèi ěr cǎo yuán
Hulunbuir grasslands of Inner Mongolia
Cǎo tún zhèn
Caotun or Tsaotun town in Nantou county 南投縣|南投县[Nan2 tou2 xian4], central Taiwan
zhǎn cǎo chú gēn
to cut weeds and eliminate the roots (idiom); to destroy root and branch
to eliminate completely
dǎ cǎo jīng shé
lit. beat the grass to scare the snake
to inadvertently alert an enemy
to punish sb as a warning to others (idiom)
màn cǎo
creeper
climbing plant
twiner
chē qián cǎo
plantain herb (Plantago asiatica)
cùn cǎo bù shēng
lit. not even a blade of grass grows (idiom)
fig. barren
Jiān cǎo píng qū
Jiancaoping district of Taiyuan city 太原市[Tai4 yuan2 shi4], Shanxi
zhān huā rě cǎo
to moisten the flower and beckon the leaves (idiom); to womanize
to frequent brothels
to sow one's wild oats
suō cǎo
coco-grass or nut sedge (Cyperus rotundus)
Lù cǎo
Lucao or Lutsao township in Chiayi county 嘉義縣|嘉义县[Jia1 yi4 xian4], west Taiwan
cù jiāng cǎo
creeping oxalis
edelweiss
cǎo shān hú
Sarcandra glabra (botany)
tù zi bù chī wō biān cǎo
A rabbit doesn't eat the grass by its own burrow (idiom); One shouldn't do anything to harm one's neighbors.
bīng mǎ wèi dòng , liáng cǎo xiān xíng
before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers
an army marches on its stomach
yǐn shēn cǎo
legendary grass conferring invisibility
fig. to conceal oneself or one's plans
xiāng cǎo jīng
vanilla
vanilla extract
methyl vanillin C8H8O3
xiāng gēn cǎo
vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanoides)
Lù cǎo xiāng
Lucao or Lutsao township in Chiayi county 嘉義縣|嘉义县[Jia1 yi4 xian4], west Taiwan
jié cǎo
deep gratitude up to death
Yuè wēi cǎo táng bǐ jì
Notes on minutely observed thatched hut by Ji Yun 紀昀|纪昀, novel of supernatural
The thatched study of close scrutiny
jí fēng zhī jìng cǎo
the storm put strong grass to the test (idiom); fig. troubled times test a faithful minister
to show one's true colors after a stern test
also written 疾風勁草|疾风劲草
xī huáng cǎo
Rabdosia lophanthoides (no common name), herb plant of Lamiaceae family (together with mint and lavender), used in TCM
zǐ cǎo kē
Boraginaceae (family of flowers and bushes)
jí fēng jìng cǎo
the storm put strong grass to the test (idiom); fig. troubled times test a faithful minister
to show one's true colors after a stern test
Xīn xiū běn cǎo
Tang dynasty compendium of herbal medicine
mǎng cǎo
Chinese anise (Ilicium anisatum, a shrub with poisonous leaves)
huǒ róng cǎo
edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)
chē zhóu cǎo
honewort
Cryptotaenia japonica
huāng yān màn cǎo
lit. abandoned by men and choked with weeds
desolate (idiom)
bì cǎo rú yīn
green grass like cushion (idiom); green meadow so inviting to sleep on
shé má cǎo
hop (Humulus lupulus), climbing plant whose flower cones are used in brewing beer
sù cǎo
grass that has grown on a grave since last year
(fig.) grave
to have died long ago
fodder provided to animals for the night
píng péng cǎo
spatterdock (Nuphar pumilum), a type of lily
lán cǎo méi
blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
xiāng cǎo lán
vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)
niú xī cǎo
hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
jié cǎo xián huán
to repay sb's kind acts (idiom)
jié cǎo xián huán
deep gratitude up to death (idiom)
also written 結草銜環|结草衔环
Bā lǐ kūn cǎo yuán
Barkol grasslands near Hami in Xinjiang
Wū lā tè cǎo yuán
Urat plain in Bayan Nur 巴彥淖爾|巴彦淖尔[Ba1 yan4 nao4 er3], Inner Mongolia
cǎo xiāo
(bird species of China) eastern grass owl (Tyto longimembris)
sān léng cǎo
sedge herb (Cyperus rotundus)
cǎo dà qīng
Isatis indigotica (indigo woad plant)
cǎo shuài shōu bīng
to work vaguely then retreat (idiom); sloppy and half-hearted
half-baked
rén shēng yī shì , cǎo mù yī chūn
Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence
jī cǎo tún liáng
to store up provisions against a war
jiǎn cǎo chú gēn
lit. cut grass and pull out roots (idiom); fig. to destroy root and branch
to eradicate
rě cǎo niān huā
see 拈花惹草[nian1 hua1 re3 cao3]
jí fēng zhī jìn cǎo , liè huǒ jiàn zhēn jīn
the storm put strong grass to the test, fire tests true gold (idiom); fig. troubled times test a faithful minister
to show one's true colors after a stern test
lāo dào cǎo
to fish for a straw
futile attempt to gain profit
zhāo fēng rě cǎo
to stir up trouble (idiom)
to sow discord
cǎo yuán jù xī
Savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
cǎo mǎn líng yǔ
lit. jails overgrown with grass (idiom); fig. peaceful society
cǎo mǎ
the ten numerals 〡,〢,〣,〤,〥,〦,〧,〨,〩,十 nowadays mainly used in traditional trades such as Chinese medicine
rě cǎo zhān huā
to moisten the flower and beckon the leaves (idiom); to womanize
to frequent brothels
to sow one's wild oats
Mǎ cǎo kuǎng
Macaokuang village in Tengjia township 滕家鎮|滕家镇, Rongcheng county 榮成|荣成, Weihai 威海, Shandong
Mǎ cǎo kuǎng cūn
Macaokuang village in Tengjia township 滕家鎮|滕家镇, Rongcheng county 榮成|荣成, Weihai 威海, Shandong
yǐn shēn cǎo r
erhua variant of 隱身草|隐身草[yin3 shen1 cao3]
Bā yīn bù kè cǎo yuán
Bayanbulak grasslands in Uldus basin of Tianshan mountains
Cǎo Shān
Grassy Hill (hill in Hong Kong)
cǎo guǒ
black cardamom
(dialect) strawberry
cǎo biāo
(old) sign made of woven weeds, placed on an object, an animal or a person, indicating that it is for sale.
cǎo mín
the grass roots
the hoi polloi
cǎo shí cán
Chinese artichoke
Stachys sieboldii
cǎo dì liù
(bird species of China) meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis)
cǎo yuán yào
(bird species of China) pallid harrier (Circus macrourus)
xié cǎo
valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
máng cǎo
Miscanthus (genus of grass)
cǎo yuán huī bó láo
(bird species of China) steppe grey shrike (Lanius pallidirostris)
cǎo yuán bǎi líng
(bird species of China) calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra)
cǎo yuán diāo
(bird species of China) steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
cǎo zhǐ
rough straw paper
toilet paper
brown paper
cǎo lǜ lí yīng
(bird species of China) eastern olivaceous warbler (Iduna pallida)
fàn qiǔ rú cǎo
lit. to live on dry provisions and wild herbs (idiom)
fig. to live in abject poverty
Yuè wēi Cǎo táng Bǐ jì
Notes on a Minutely Observed Thatched Hut by Ji Yun 紀昀|纪昀[Ji4 Yun2], novel of the supernatural
The Thatched Study of Close Scrutiny
tōng cǎo
rice-paper plant (Tetrapanax papyriferus)
zhū cǎo
ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
fishwort (Houttuynia cordata)
xī shuài cǎo
wire grass (Eleusine indica)
yì cǎo
reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
suō cǎo
Chinese alpine rush (botany)
cǎo lù
(bird species of China) purple heron (Ardea purpurea)
cǎo jī
free-range chicken
(dialect) hen
cowardly
cǎo cǎo shōu chǎng
to rush to conclude a matter
to end up abruptly
cǎo cǎo liǎo shì
to rush through the work
to get through a thing carelessly
cǎo chuán jiè jiàn
lit. using straw boats to borrow arrows (idiom, from 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4])
fig. to use others' manpower and resources for one's own ends
lǜ cǎo rú yīn
green grass like cushion (idiom); green meadow so inviting to sleep on
Dù Fǔ Cǎo táng
Du Fu's Thatched Cottage (park and museum in Chengdu)
Běn cǎo Gāng mù
Compendium of Medical Herbs 1596, compiled by Li Shizhen 李時珍|李时珍[Li3 Shi2 zhen1]
dǎ cǎo
to mow grass
haymaking
to write a rough draft (of an essay etc)
rě cǎo zhān huā
see 沾花惹草[zhan1 hua1 re3 cao3]
Bā lǐ kūn cǎo yuán
Barkol grasslands near Hami in Xinjiang
bǎo gài cǎo
henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule)
hǎo mǎ bù chī huí tóu cǎo
lit. a good horse doesn't come back to the same pasture (idiom)
fig. one should not go back to one's past experiences (of love, job etc)
tiān yá hé chù wú fāng cǎo
there are plenty more fish in the sea (idiom)
dà cǎo yīng
(bird species of China) Chinese grassbird (Graminicola striatus)
dà cǎo méi
(bird species of China) giant babax (Babax waddelli)
Nán yà dà cǎo yīng
(bird species of China) Indian grassbird (Graminicola bengalensis)
chū cǎo
(of Taiwan aborigines) to go on a headhunting expedition
bīng mǎ wèi dòng , liáng cǎo xiān xíng
before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers
an army marches on its stomach
rén shēng yī shì , cǎo mù yī chūn
Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence
rǔ cǎo
milkweeds (genus Asclepias)
zōng cǎo méi
(bird species of China) Tibetan babax (Babax koslowi)
Shén nóng Běn cǎo Jīng
Shennong's Compendium of Materia Medica, a Han dynasty pharmacological compendium, 3 scrolls
ǎi jiǎo bái huā shé lì cǎo
see 白花蛇舌草[bai2 hua1 she2 she2 cao3]
máo wén cǎo méi
(bird species of China) Chinese babax (Babax lanceolatus)
bái yāo cǎo yù
(bird species of China) green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
bān cǎo
the most handsome boy in the class
niú jīn cǎo
wire grass (Eleusine indica)
qiáng tóu cǎo
sb who goes whichever way the wind blows
sb with no mind of one's own
easily swayed person
opportunist
dēng cǎo róng
see 燈芯絨|灯芯绒[deng1 xin1 rong2]
dēng cǎo
the spongy, white pulp inside the stem of rush plants, used as a wick for oil lamps
dēng xīn cǎo
see 燈心草|灯心草[deng1 xin1 cao3]
Qiǎn cǎo
Asakusa, district of Tokyo with an atmosphere of old Japan, famous for the 7th century Buddhist temple, Sensō-ji
zhān huā rě cǎo
to fondle the flowers and trample the grass (idiom)
to womanize
to frequent brothels
to sow one's wild oats
sān dào méi cǎo wú
(bird species of China) meadow bunting (Emberiza cioides)