草
grass, weeds, herbs, pasture, write, draft
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- くさ
- くさ-
- -ぐさ
Nanori
- そ
- や
Meaning
草 centers on low-growing green plants: grass, weeds, and herbs. The extended senses of pasture, writing, and drafting come from the idea of something rough or unpolished, like a field of wild grass or a preliminary sketch.
Most common words using 草
22 of 488- 草くさN4
grass; weed; herb; thatch
- 煙草タバコN5
tobacco; cigarette; cigar
- 草原そうげんN1
grassy field; grassland; meadow
- 仕草しぐさN1
gesture; movement; action; behavior; behaviour; bearing; mannerism
- 草食そうしょくN1
herbivorous; plant-eating; graminivorous
- 雑草ざっそうN1
weed
- ほうれん草ほうれんそうN1
spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
- 草案そうあん
draft (for a speech, bill, etc.)
- 草木くさきN1
plants; vegetation
- 除草じょそう
weeding
- 草刈りくさかり
mowing; mower
- 牧草ぼくそう
pasture; grass
- 草の根くさのね
roots of grass; places hidden from sight
- 草花くさばなN1
flower; flowering plant
- 草履ぞうりN2
zori; traditional Japanese thonged sandals
- 草稿そうこう
notes; draft; manuscript
- 草分けくさわけ
pathfinder; trailblazer; early settler
- 道草みちくさN1
loitering on the way
- 起草きそう
drafting (e.g. a bill); drawing up
- 草書そうしょ
highly cursive style (of writing Chinese characters); grass style
- 芝草しばくさ
lawn; sod; turf
- 草臥れるくたびれるN3
to get tired; to become exhausted; to grow weary
Study
Etymology
草 combines the grass radical 艹 with 早, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to grass and plants, later gaining extended meanings like draft or rough version.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 艹 is a crown of grass, and the bottom 早 suggests something growing quickly. Picture a field of grass sprouting up fast: 草 is grass.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a field of grass swaying in the wind, making a soft 'sow' sound: sow -> ソウ, like the whisper of grass.