How to Write 蘼 (mí) — Meaning “millet; fragrant grass”

Picture a field of fragrant grass (艹) that is so dense and lush it looks like it's "milling" (靡) around in the wind. The bottom part 靡 resembles a fan of leaves spreading out, reminding you of the plant's aromatic, sprawling nature.

蘼 has 22 strokes, so pay careful attention to the bottom part 靡, which itself has 19 strokes and includes a long horizontal stroke (一) and a left-falling stroke (丿) that must extend properly. Common mistakes include making the grass radical too small or misbalancing the width of 靡, which should be slightly narrower than the grass top.

蘼 (mí) means fragrant grass or millet, with the grass radical 艹, while 蘖 (niè) means a sprout or shoot from a plant and has a different lower component — 木 (tree) inside 蘖 instead of 靡. Visually, 蘼 has a complex, spreading lower part, whereas 蘖 has a more compact structure with a tree radical at the bottom.

蘼 is rarely used alone today, but appears in classical literary terms like 荼蘼 (tú mí), a blackberry rose that symbolizes the end of spring, and 蘼芜 (mí wú), a fragrant herb used in traditional medicine. Its main cultural significance comes from 荼蘼, which in Chinese poetry often represents something beautiful that is about to fade or finish.

Common words containing 蘼 include: 荼蘼 (tú mí) — Blackberry rose; 蘼芜 (mí wú) — fragrant herb (Ligusticum chuanxiong); 蘼草 (mí cǎo) — fragrant grass.