Learn a Chinese Character - 芦

1. Character Basics

Radical: 艹 (cǎo, grass radical)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lú (Second tone)

3. Meaning

Reed; rush; a type of aquatic or marsh plant

4. Common Words

• 芦苇 (lúwěi) - reed
• 芦笋 (lúsǔn) - asparagus
• 芦草 (lúcǎo) - rush; bulrush
• 芦花 (lúhuā) - reed catkins
• 芦席 (lúxí) - reed mat
• 芦荡 (lúdàng) - reed marsh
• 芦荟 (lúhuì) - aloe
• 芦根 (lúgēn) - reed root (used in traditional Chinese medicine)

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "芦" is primarily used as a component in compound words related to reeds or similar plants. It is usually not used independently but rather forms part of nouns that describe specific plants or plant parts. When combined with other characters, it helps to specify the type of plant being referred to.

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, reeds (芦苇) have been an important natural resource for thousands of years. They have been used for making various daily necessities such as mats, baskets, and thatch for roofing. In literature and poetry, reeds often symbolize resilience and flexibility due to their ability to grow in harsh environments and bend without breaking. The famous poem "蒹葭" (Jiānjiā, "Reed"), part of the ancient Chinese poetry collection "Shijing" (Classic of Poetry), uses reeds to create a beautiful and evocative natural setting.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 芦 consists of 艹 (cǎo, grass radical) on the top and 户 (hù, household) on the bottom. You can remember this character by associating the grass radical with plants and imagining reeds growing around a household or by a river. The bottom part "户" provides the pronunciation clue for the "h" sound, which is similar to the "l" sound in "lú".