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蕘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蕘ráofuel, firewood; grass, shrub; Wikstroemia japonicax, 16 strokes, radical 艹
ráo(rao2) T2
  1. 1fuel, firewood; grass, shrub; Wikstroemia japonica
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蕘ráo(rao2)

The character 蕘 (ráo) primarily refers to a type of shrub or grass, often associated with fuel or firewood. It is less commonly used in everyday language, but may appear in literature or botanical contexts, especially when discussing plants like Wikstroemia japonica, known for its practical uses.

Strokes16Radical艹
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the use of natural resources like 蕘 for fuel reflects the deep connection between daily life and nature. Many rural practices involve utilizing local shrubs for heating or cooking, emphasizing sustainability.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'raging fire' fueled by shrubs and grass, which can be remembered by the sound 'ráo' that resembles 'roar.' The character 蕘 visually combines 'grass' (艹) at the top, indicating its plant origin, with elements that hint at its utility as fuel.

Meanings of 蕘

ráo(rao2)
1fuel, firewood; grass, shrub; Wikstroemia japonica
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蕘

蕘Simplified
16Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蕘

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Podcast: 蕘

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AI Study Notes for 蕘

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 蕘 with similar characters related to other plants or natural elements. It's more formal and may not be used in everyday conversations, so it's best suited for written contexts or academic discussions about botany.

HSK Study Tips

Since 蕘 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary lists, students should focus on related vocabulary in the plant and nature categories. Understanding the radicals can help in recognizing similar characters, which is useful for expanding botanical vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 蕘 with other plant-related characters, such as 草 (cǎo, grass) or 药 (yào, medicine). It's important to remember that 蕘 specifically refers to shrubs used for fuel, not just any grass.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蕘

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Etymology of 蕘

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

grass

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蕘

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half堯 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 蕘? 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 蕘?

Decomposition of 蕘

IDS Structure⿱艹堯
蕘Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
堯yao2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蕘?

How to say fuel, firewood; grass, shrub; Wikstroemia japonica in Chinese

“fuel, firewood; grass, shrub; Wikstroemia japonica” in Chinese is蕘ráo

The character 蕘 (ráo) primarily refers to a type of shrub or grass, often associated with fuel or firewood. It is less commonly used in everyday language, but may appear in literature or botanical contexts, especially when discussing plants like Wikstroemia japonica, known for its practical uses.

When to use 蕘

Learners often confuse 蕘 with similar characters related to other plants or natural elements. It's more formal and may not be used in everyday conversations, so it's best suited for written contexts or academic discussions about botany.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 蕘 with other plant-related characters, such as 草 (cǎo, grass) or 药 (yào, medicine). It's important to remember that 蕘 specifically refers to shrubs used for fuel, not just any grass.

Write 蕘

蕘

Practice writing 蕘 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 蕘

Words Containing This Character1
荛ráofuel蕘
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 荛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蕘

蕘 means 'fuel,' 'firewood,' or specifically refers to certain shrubs like Wikstroemia japonica.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 蕘?

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.