Definitions

(adjective) overgrown with weeds

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The traditional character "蕪" is composed of the grass radical "艹" atop the component "無", which conveys negation and serves a phonetic function, originally denoting land overgrown with wild grass or weeds. This structure etymologically reflects a state of neglect, specifically referring to uncultivated or barren fields. Over time, its meaning expanded to describe things that are disorderly, profuse, or desolate in a more general sense. The simplified form "芜" retains the grass radical but substitutes "無" with "无", a component with analogous negative meaning and phonetic role, thus preserving the character's essential semantic association with overgrowth and desolation while modifying its graphical composition.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这片土地很荒

Zhè piàn tǔdì hěn huāngwú.

This piece of land is very desolate.

战争后村庄变得荒

Zhànzhēng hòu cūnzhuāng biàn de huāngwú.

After the war, the village became desolate.

他的思路有些杂,需要整理。

Tā de sīlù yǒuxiē wúzá, xūyào zhěnglǐ.

His thoughts are somewhat disorderly and need organizing.

妈妈在菜市场买了菁。

Māma zài càishìchǎng mǎi le wújīng.

Mom bought turnips at the vegetable market.

那片荒的土地上什么也不长。

Nà piàn huāngwú de tǔdì shàng shénme yě bù zhǎng.

Nothing grows on that desolate land.

后院秽不堪,无人打理。

Hòuyuàn wúhuì bùkān, wú rén dǎlǐ.

The backyard is terribly overgrown with weeds, and no one takes care of it.

由于长期无人居住,老屋四周早已荒

Yóuyú chángqī wú rén jūzhù, lǎo wū sìzhōu zǎo yǐ huāngwú.

Due to long-term no one living there, the area around the old house has long been desolate.

他的报告内容杂,缺乏重点,让人难以理解。

Tā de bàogào nèiróng wúzá, quēfá zhòngdiǎn, ràng rén nányǐ lǐjiě.

The content of his report is miscellaneous, lacking focus, making it hard to understand.