民主 mín zhǔ democracy / democratic syn 打草惊蛇 打草驚蛇 dǎ cǎo jīng shé lit. beat the grass to scare the snake (idiom) / fig. to inadvertently alert an enemy / to punish sb as a warning to others 斩草除根 斬草除根 zhǎn cǎo chú gēn to cut weeds and eliminate the roots (idiom) / to destroy root and branch / to eliminate completely syn 树根 樹根 shù gēn tree roots syn 回老家 huí lǎo jiā to go back to one's roots / to return to one's native place / by ext. to join one's ancestors (i.e. to die) syn 青草 qīng cǎo grass 草根 cǎo gēn grass roots (lit. and fig.) 同盟会 同盟會 tóng méng huì Tongmenghui, Sun Yat-sen's alliance for democracy, founded 1905, became the Guomindang 國民黨|国民党 in 1912 民主主义 民主主義 mín zhǔ zhǔ yì democracy 寻根 尋根 xún gēn to seek one's roots / to get to the bottom of a matter 牧草 mù cǎo pasture / forage grass / pasturage 寸草不生 cùn cǎo bù shēng lit. not even a blade of grass grows (idiom) / fig. barren syn 草本 cǎo běn grass / herb 水草 shuǐ cǎo aquatic plants / water and grass (i.e. favorable foraging land for livestock or wild animals) / (Malaysia) (coll.) drinking straw 草书 草書 cǎo shū grass script / cursive script (Chinese calligraphic style) syn 依依 yī yī reluctant to part / (of grass etc) soft and pliable, swaying in the wind syn 民主化 mín zhǔ huà to convert to democracy / democratic transformation 支部 zhī bù branch, esp. grass root branches of a political party syn 踏青 tà qīng lit. tread the green / go for a walk in the spring (when the grass has turned green) / spring hike season around Qingming festival 清明, 4th-6th April syn 除根 chú gēn to root out / to eliminate the roots / to cure once and for all syn 苦参 苦參 kǔ shēn liquorice (Sophora flavescens), with roots used in TCM syn 葱葱 蔥蔥 cōng cōng verdant and thick (foliage, grass etc) syn 信息中心 xìn xī zhōng xīn information center / abbr. for 中國人權民運信息中心|中国人权民运信息中心[Zhong1 guo2 ren2 quan2 min2 yun4 xin4 xi1 zhong1 xin1], Information center for human rights and democracy, Hong Kong 基层组织 基層組織 jī céng zǔ zhī grass-roots organization 民主政治 mín zhǔ zhèng zhì democracy / democratic 绿草 綠草 lǜ cǎo green grass 凉粉 涼粉 liáng fěn liangfen (Chinese dish) / grass jelly (Chinese dish) 吃草 chī cǎo to graze / to eat grass 百草 bǎi cǎo all kinds of grass / all kinds of flora 新民主主义 新民主主義 xīn mín zhǔ zhǔ yì New Democracy 草鱼 草魚 cǎo yú grass carp syn 枯草 kū cǎo withered grass / dry grass 仙草 xiān cǎo medicinal herb (genus Mesona) / grass jelly 草莽 cǎo mǎng a rank growth of grass / uncultivated land / wilderness syn 新文化运动 新文化運動 xīn wén huà yùn dòng the New Culture Movement (mid-1910s and 1920s), intellectual revolution against Confucianism aiming to introduce Western elements, especially democracy and science 拈花惹草 niān huā rě cǎo lit. to pick the flowers and trample the grass (idiom) / fig. to womanize / to frequent brothels / to sow one's wild oats syn 远志 遠志 yuǎn zhì far-reaching ambition / lofty ideal / milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia), with roots used in Chinese medicine syn 忘本 wàng běn to forget one's roots syn 新民主主义革命 新民主主義革命 xīn mín zhǔ zhǔ yì gé mìng (Maoism) New Democracy (aka New Democratic Revolution) syn 割草 gē cǎo mow grass 王丹 wáng dān Wang Dan (1969-), Chinese dissident, one of the leaders of the Beijing student democracy movement of 1989 饲草 飼草 sì cǎo forage grass syn 归根 歸根 guī gēn to return home (after a lifetime's absence) / to go back to one's roots 盘根错节 盤根錯節 pán gēn cuò jié twisted roots and intertwined joints (idiom) / complicated and very tricky / knotty and deeply-rooted difficulties syn 刍议 芻議 chú yì lit. grass-cutter's comment (humble) / fig. my observation as a humble layman / my humble opinion 分蘖 分櫱 fēn niè tiller (stem at the base of grass plants) syn 劲草 勁草 jìng cǎo tough upright grass / (fig.) a staunch character who is loyal despite danger and hardship 紫草 zǐ cǎo red root gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) / flowering plant whose roots provide purple dye / arnebia (plant genus in family Boraginaceae) 香茅 xiāng máo lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) 禾本科 hé běn kē Graminae or Poaceae, the grass family 民运 民運 mín yùn civil transport / movement aimed at the masses / democracy movement (abbr.) 草 cǎo grass / straw / manuscript / draft (of a document) / careless / rough / CL:棵[ke1],撮[zuo3],株[zhu1],根[gen1] syn 告密者 gào mì zhě tell-tale / informer (esp. to police) / whistleblower / grass 薰 xūn sweet-smelling grass / Coumarouna odorata / tonka beans / coumarin syn 薛 xuē wormwood like grass (classical) 芒 máng awn (of cereals) / arista (of grain) / tip (of a blade) / Miscanthus sinensis (type of grass) / variant of 邙, Mt Mang at Luoyang in Henan 撮 zuǒ classifier for hair or grass: tuft / Taiwan pr. [cuo4] syn 刨根问底 刨根問底 páo gēn wèn dǐ to dig up roots and inquire at the base (idiom) / to get to the bottom of sth syn 艹 cǎo grass radical 草字頭兒|草字头儿[cao3 zi4 tou2 r5] 莽 mǎng (bound form) dense growth of grass / (literary) vast / boundless / (bound form) boorish / reckless 荼 tú thistle / common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) / bitter (taste) / cruel / flowering grass in profusion 茹 rú to eat / (extended meaning) to endure / putrid smell / vegetables / roots (inextricably attached to the plant) syn 莎草 suō cǎo coco-grass / nut sedge (Cyperus rotundus) 荐 薦 jiàn to recommend / to offer sacrifice (arch.) / grass / straw mat syn 茸 róng (bound form) (of newly sprouted grass) soft and fine / downy syn 荪 蓀 sūn fragrant grass 叶落归根 葉落歸根 yè luò guī gēn a falling leaf returns to the roots (idiom) / everything has its ancestral home / In old age, an expatriate longs to return home. syn 壅 yōng to obstruct / to stop up / to heap soil around the roots of a plant 菅 jiān (grass) / Themeda forsbali 打草 dǎ cǎo to mow grass / haymaking / to write a rough draft (of an essay etc) 中国民主促进会 中國民主促進會 zhōng guó mín zhǔ cù jìn huì China Association for Promoting Democracy 根深叶茂 根深葉茂 gēn shēn yè mào deep roots and vigorous foliage (idiom) / (fig.) well established and growing strongly syn 中国同盟会 中國同盟會 zhōng guó tóng méng huì Tongmenghui, Sun Yat-sen's alliance for democracy, founded 1905, became the Guomindang 國民黨|国民党 in 1912 社会民主主义 社會民主主義 shè huì mín zhǔ zhǔ yì social democracy 刍 芻 chú to mow or cut grass / hay / straw / fodder 簟 diàn fine woven grass mat syn 荛 蕘 ráo fuel / grass 苕 tiáo reed grass / Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora) (old) 乇 zhé "blade of grass" component in Chinese characters 荑 tí (grass) syn 鲩 鯇 huàn grass carp syn 根须 根鬚 gēn xū roots syn 追根问底 追根問底 zhuī gēn wèn dǐ lit. to examine roots and inquire at the base (idiom) / to get to the bottom of sth syn 花押 huā yā signature (in grass-style writing) / symbol used in place of a signature (on a document, contract etc) syn 莛 tíng stalk of grass syn 茷 fá denseness of grass-foliage 蓰 xǐ (grass) / increase five fold 荄 gāi roots of plant 蕝 jué coarse grass used to show rank 稂 láng grass / weeds syn 剪草除根 jiǎn cǎo chú gēn lit. cut grass and pull out roots (idiom) / fig. to destroy root and branch / to eradicate syn 芝焚蕙叹 芝焚蕙歎 zhī fén huì tàn lit. when one grass burns the other grass sighs (idiom) / fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress 民权主义 民權主義 mín quán zhǔ yì democracy / civil liberties / principle of democracy, the second of Dr Sun Yat-sen's 孫中山|孙中山 Three Principles of the People 三民主義|三民主义 (at the time, meaning widespread popular involvement in affairs of state) 拔毛连茹 拔毛連茹 bá máo lián rú lit. pull up a plant and the roots follow (idiom) / fig. also involving others / inextricably tangled together / Invite one and he'll tell all his friends. 数典忘祖 數典忘祖 shǔ diǎn wàng zǔ to recount history but omit one's ancestors (idiom) / to forget one's roots syn 盘根问底 盤根問底 pán gēn wèn dǐ lit. to examine roots and inquire at the base (idiom) / to get to the bottom of sth 盘根究底 盤根究底 pán gēn jiū dǐ lit. to examine roots and inquire at the base (idiom) / to get to the bottom of sth syn 落叶归根 落葉歸根 luò yè guī gēn lit. a falling leaf returns to the roots (idiom) / fig. all things go back to their source eventually / in old age, an expatriate returns home syn 藕断丝连 藕斷絲連 ǒu duàn sī lián lit. lotus roots may break, but the fiber remains joined (idiom) / lovers part, but still long for one another 