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藁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
藁gǎostraw, hay; withered, dryns, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #54060, Very Hard
gǎo(gao3) T3
  1. 1straw, hay; withered, dry
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

藁gǎo(gao3)

The character 藁 (gǎo) primarily refers to straw or hay, which are dried plant materials often used in agriculture or as animal feed. It can also imply something that is withered or dry. This term is commonly used in rural contexts, particularly when discussing farming practices or animal husbandry.

Strokes17Radical艹Frequency#54060DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In rural Chinese culture, straw is an important byproduct of harvesting grains, often used for thatching roofs or as bedding for animals. Understanding the significance of straw can provide insights into traditional agricultural practices in China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a goat munching on straw (gǎo) in a dry field. The character 藁 has the radical for grass (艹) at the top, which connects it to plants, while the 'gao' sound can remind you of the 'goat' that eats the straw.

Meanings of 藁

gǎo(gao3)
1straw, hay; withered, dry
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 藁

藁Simplified
17Strokes
艹Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 藁

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Podcast: 藁

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AI Study Notes for 藁

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 藁 with similar characters like 槁 (also pronounced gǎo), which may have different connotations. This character is more likely used in agricultural discussions, making it less common in everyday conversation. Remember to use the correct tone to avoid misunderstandings; gǎo has a third tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 藁 is not included in the official HSK levels, it can be useful when learning vocabulary related to agriculture (often found in HSK Level 3 and above). Focus on recognizing the character's components and pronunciation, as well as its contextual meanings in farming.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 藁 with similar-sounding characters like 槁. For example, using 藁 in contexts related to dryness instead of the appropriate character can lead to misunderstandings. Remember, 藁 specifically refers to straw or hay.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 藁

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Etymology of 藁

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)槀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 藁

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half槀 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 藁? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 藁?

Decomposition of 藁

IDS Structure⿱艹槀
藁Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
槀gao3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 藁?

How to say straw, hay; withered, dry in Chinese

“straw, hay; withered, dry” in Chinese is藁gǎo

The character 藁 (gǎo) primarily refers to straw or hay, which are dried plant materials often used in agriculture or as animal feed. It can also imply something that is withered or dry. This term is commonly used in rural contexts, particularly when discussing farming practices or animal husbandry.

When to use 藁

Be careful not to confuse 藁 with similar characters like 槁 (also pronounced gǎo), which may have different connotations. This character is more likely used in agricultural discussions, making it less common in everyday conversation. Remember to use the correct tone to avoid misunderstandings; gǎo has a third tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 藁 with similar-sounding characters like 槁. For example, using 藁 in contexts related to dryness instead of the appropriate character can lead to misunderstandings. Remember, 藁 specifically refers to straw or hay.

Write 藁

藁

Practice writing 藁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 藁

Words Containing This Character4
藁gǎodried up
藁城市Gaocheng county level city in Shijiazhuang 石家莊|石家庄[Shí​jiā​zhuāng], Hebei
藁城Gaocheng county level city in Shijiazhuang 石家莊|石家庄[Shí​jiā​zhuāng], Hebei
藁城县cheng county in Hebei藁城縣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 藁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 藁

It can be used to describe the leftover straw after harvesting crops, for example, '田里剩下很多藁' (There is a lot of straw left in the field).

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