禾苗

• Pinyin: hé miáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 禾 = standing grain (pictographic radical); 苗 = 艹 (grass radical) + 田 (field) — seedling growing in a field

Meaning

Young rice or grain seedlings; tender crop plants in their early growth stage, typically referring to rice seedlings in paddy fields.

Deeply embedded in Chinese agricultural culture, particularly associated with rice cultivation in southern China. Often used metaphorically to represent nascent talent, youth, or the hopeful beginnings of something. Evokes the image of rural farmland and seasonal rhythms of planting and harvest.

Examples

1. 春雨过后，田间的禾苗一夜之间仿佛蹿高了一截，绿意盎然。 After the spring rain, the seedlings in the fields seemed to shoot up overnight, lush and green.
2. 持续的旱情导致禾苗大片枯萎，当地政府紧急调拨水源解困。 The prolonged drought caused large areas of seedlings to wither, and the local government urgently redirected water supplies to relieve the crisis.
3. 他把学生比作田间的禾苗，说教师的职责是施肥浇水，而非拔苗助长。 He compared students to seedlings in a field, saying a teacher’s duty is to fertilize and water—not to pull them up to make them grow faster.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, rural life, literature, metaphor

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 今年雨水充足，地里的禾苗长势格外茁壮。(This year's rainfall has been plentiful, and the seedlings in the fields are thriving especially well.)
• 农民每天清晨都要查看禾苗是否需要补水施肥。(Farmers check every morning whether the seedlings need watering or fertilising.)

Don't Say

• 禾苗 for all types of seedlings — use 幼苗 or 秧苗 for general seedlings; 禾苗 specifically refers to cereal or rice crop seedlings

Origin & History

禾 (cereal crops; standing grain — pictographic) + 苗 (seedling; sprout)

Cultural Context

Generation: Older generations / rural communities

Social background: Rural