HSK · Level 55
105 words
Chinese word
苗
Pronunciation
Pinyinmiáo
Meaning
- nounseedling
Example
他在院子里种了很多苗。tā zài yuàn zi lǐ zhǒng le hěn duō miáo
He planted many seedlings in the yard.
More examples
农民把秧苗插到田里。nóng mín bǎ yāng miáo chā dào tián lǐ
The farmers planted rice seedlings in the field.
Core concept
A small plant emerging from the ground, representing the earliest stage of growth before maturity and, by extension, the start of a new development.
Common phrases
幼苗yòu miáo
young seedling
苗木miáo mù
young tree
秧苗yāng miáo
rice seedling
Similar words
幼苗yòu miáo: A very small, soft young plant that has only recently sprouted.
树苗shù miáo: A young, small tree prepared for planting and further growth.
苗木miáo mù: A young tree or shrub grown for planting in a garden or woodland.
苗头miáo tou: An early sign that something is beginning to develop.
Definition in Chinese
指从种子发出、尚处于早期生长阶段的小植株，通常指苗木或幼苗，也可比喻事物的起始阶段。zhǐ cóng zhǒng zi fā chū shàng chǔ yú zǎo qī shēng zhǎng jiē duàn de xiǎo zhí zhū tōng cháng zhǐ miáo mù huò yòu miáo yě kě bǐ yù shì wù de qí shǐ jiē duàn
Word origin
The written form joins the plant marker 艹 (cǎo, "plant") with 田 (tián, "field"), making a young plant in a field the word's basic picture.
Usage tips
- English speakers may expect a fixed size from this word, but Chinese uses it for young plants of different kinds, with the surrounding noun or context identifying the type.
Other meanings
- saplingnoun
Opposites
- 大树dà shùbig treenoun
Related words
- 苗圃miáo pǔplant nurserynoun
- 苗头miáo touindicationnoun
- 苗族miáo zúMiao ethnic groupnoun