How to Write 草 (cǎo) — Meaning “grass”

Think of the bottom part 早 as 'early morning' and imagine grass growing very early in the day. The top 艹 looks like two blades of grass, so picture grass sprouting at dawn to remember the character.

Write the top 艹 first: a horizontal line, then a left vertical, then a right vertical. The bottom 早 should be centered below, with the horizontal strokes evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the top too narrow or the bottom too tall, so keep the width balanced.

All three have the 艹 radical on top, but the bottom parts differ. 草 has 早 (early), 兹 has 玄 (mysterious), and 芈 has a bottom that looks like 干 (dry). These bottom components are visually distinct: 早 has a sun ☀️ shape, 玄 has curved strokes, and 芈 has a cross shape.

草 is the common word for grass, as in 草地 (cǎo dì, lawn) or 草莓 (cǎo méi, strawberry). It also appears in compound words like 花草 (huā cǎo, flowers and plants) and is used informally in internet slang to express surprise or frustration, like '草!' (similar to 'damn').

Common words containing 草 include: 草地 (cǎo dì) — Grassland; lawn; meadow.; 花草 (huā cǎo) — Flowers and plants; 草莓 (cǎo méi) — Strawberry..