Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
莛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
莛tíngblades of grassg, 9 strokes, radical 艹
莛tíngstalk of grassunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹
tíng(ting2) T2
  1. 1blades of grass
  2. 2stalk of grass
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

莛tíng(ting2)

The character 莛 (tíng) refers to the blades or stalks of grass. It is often used in the context of describing fine, slender grass that grows in clusters. This word may be encountered in literary descriptions of nature or when discussing plants and vegetation.

Strokes9Radical艹
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese poetry, grass is often used as a symbol of resilience and renewal, reflecting the cyclical nature of life. The use of specific terms like 莛 can evoke deeper imagery related to natural landscapes in Chinese literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tall, slender 'ting' of grass gently swaying in the wind. The character 莛 resembles a plant with its leafy radical (艹) on top, suggesting its connection to grass. Visualize a 'ting' (think of a soft ding sound) as you walk through a grassy field.

Meanings of 莛

tíng(ting2)
1blades of grass
2stalk of grass
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 莛

莛Simplified
9Strokes
艹Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 莛

JasonAmy

Podcast: 莛

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 莛

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 莛 with other grass-related characters, like 草 (cǎo), which is more general. Use 莛 in more specific or poetic contexts. Be aware that this character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for reading literature or studying botany.

HSK Study Tips

As this character is not found in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is beneficial for learners to focus on related grass characters, like 草 (cǎo) and 苗 (miáo), which are more commonly used at lower HSK levels. Understanding the radicals can help in recognizing similar characters.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 莛 with 草 (cǎo), which means grass in general. For example, saying '我看到很多莛在公园' (wǒ kàn dào hěn duō tíng zài gōngyuán) instead of '草' can lead to awkward phrasing. Use 莛 for specific grass types or descriptions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 莛

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 莛 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 莛

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)廷
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 莛

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half廷 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 莛? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 莛?

Decomposition of 莛

IDS Structure⿱艹廷
莛Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
廷ting2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 莛?

How to say blades of grass in Chinese

“blades of grass” in Chinese is莛tíng

The character 莛 (tíng) refers to the blades or stalks of grass. It is often used in the context of describing fine, slender grass that grows in clusters. This word may be encountered in literary descriptions of nature or when discussing plants and vegetation.

When to use 莛

Learners often confuse 莛 with other grass-related characters, like 草 (cǎo), which is more general. Use 莛 in more specific or poetic contexts. Be aware that this character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for reading literature or studying botany.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 莛 with 草 (cǎo), which means grass in general. For example, saying '我看到很多莛在公园' (wǒ kàn dào hěn duō tíng zài gōngyuán) instead of '草' can lead to awkward phrasing. Use 莛 for specific grass types or descriptions.

Write 莛

莛

Practice writing 莛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 莛

Words Containing This Character1
莛tíngstalk of grass
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 莛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 莛

It means blades or stalks of grass.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 莛?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.