莽 mǎng thicket
thicket; underbrush
How to remember 莽: 艹 grass + 犬 dog + 廾 two hands = thicket. The tall grass swallows the dog as it chases a rabbit, and the boy pulls it out with two hands from the thick thicket.
Component breakdown
莽 = 艹 grass + 𬌪
- 艹 grass
- 𬌪
- 犬 dog
- 廾 two hands
The tall grass swallows the dog as it chases a rabbit, and the boy pulls it out with two hands from the thick thicket.
How it is used
- Two senses. Wild overgrown grass - 草莽 (cǎomǎng) the wilds / (figuratively) outlaws and commoners outside officialdom.
- And rash/reckless - 鲁莽 (lǔmǎng) hot-headed and careless, 莽撞 (mǎngzhuàng) impetuous. Contrast 勇敢 (yǒnggǎn) brave: 莽 is courage without thought, a fault.