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荪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
荪
sūn
aromatic grass; flower, iris
zg, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #60490, Very Hard
荪
sūn
fragrant grass
unknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #60490, Very Hard
sūn(sun1)sun T1
1aromatic grass; flower, iris
2fragrant grass
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March 24, 2026
荪(蓀)sūn(sun1)
The character 荪 (sūn) refers to a type of aromatic grass, often associated with flowers like iris. It is commonly used in poetic or literary contexts to describe fragrant plants, evoking imagery of nature and beauty.
Strokes9Radical艹Frequency#60490DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese culture, fragrant plants like 荪 are often associated with harmony and beauty, and they appear in classical poetry as symbols of nature's elegance.
Memory tip
Imagine a garden filled with fragrant grass (荪) swaying gently in the breeze. The character has the radical for 'plant' (艹) at the top, which signifies its botanical nature, and the bottom part sounds like 'sun,' reminding you of a sunny day in a fragrant garden.
Meanings of 荪
sūn(sun1)
1aromatic grass; flower, iris
2fragrant grass
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 荪 means.
About 荪
荪Simplified
蓀Traditional
9Strokes
艹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 荪
Podcast: 荪
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AI Study Notes for 荪
Usage Notes
荪 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for written or literary contexts. Be cautious with tone; it is pronounced with the first tone (sūn), which can be confusing with similar-sounding words in different tones.
HSK Study Tips
Currently, 荪 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but understanding it can enhance your grasp of botanical terms. Focus on memorizing similar characters related to plants and nature, as they often appear in literature.
Common Mistakes
Learners may confuse 荪 with similar-sounding characters like 孙 (sūn), which means 'grandson' or 'descendant.' Remember, 荪 refers specifically to fragrant grass, not family relations.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 荪
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Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 荪 through them.
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How Well Do You Know 荪?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 荪 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
荪 = 艹 + 孙. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 荪
IDS Structure⿱艹孙
荪Full character
=
艹cao3
top
孙Sun1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 荪?
How to say aromatic grass; flower, iris in Chinese
“aromatic grass; flower, iris” in Chinese is荪sūn
The character 荪 (sūn) refers to a type of aromatic grass, often associated with flowers like iris. It is commonly used in poetic or literary contexts to describe fragrant plants, evoking imagery of nature and beauty.
When to use 荪
荪 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for written or literary contexts. Be cautious with tone; it is pronounced with the first tone (sūn), which can be confusing with similar-sounding words in different tones.
What learners get wrong
Learners may confuse 荪 with similar-sounding characters like 孙 (sūn), which means 'grandson' or 'descendant.' Remember, 荪 refers specifically to fragrant grass, not family relations.
Write 荪
荪
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Practice writing 荪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 荪
荪 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
张东____认为知识是感相与格式以及设准等的产物.
Zhang Dongsun thinks knowledge is joint product of sense, form and postulate.
