稻草

• Pinyin: dào cǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 稻 = 禾 + 臼 (rice plant growing from grain); 草 = 艹 + 早 (grass, straw)

Meaning

Straw; rice straw. The dried stalks of rice plants after harvest, used as animal fodder, thatching material, or in traditional crafts.

Appears in the idiom 最后一根稻草 (the last straw that breaks the camel's back). Also in 稻草人 (scarecrow). Carries associations with rural life and fragility. In modern usage frequently cited in discussions of psychological breaking points or accumulated pressure.

Examples

1. 农民将收割后的稻草捆成一束，留作冬天喂牛的饲料。 The farmer tied the harvested rice straw into bundles and kept it as fodder for the cattle in winter.
2. 这一消息成了压垮他信心的最后一根稻草。 This news became the last straw that crushed his confidence.
3. 孩子们用稻草扎成了一个简易的稻草人，守护着田间的庄稼。 The children made a simple scarecrow out of straw to guard the crops in the field.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, idioms, rural life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这是压垮他的最后一根稻草。(This was the last straw that broke him.)
• 用稻草编织草帽。(Weave a straw hat from rice straw.)

Don't Say

• 稻草建造的房子 in modern Chinese — use 茅草屋 or 草房 when describing traditional thatched dwellings

Origin & History

稻 (rice, paddy plant) + 草 (grass, straw). Together meaning the dried stalks of harvested rice.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal