Today, we are going to discuss a Chinese character that makes 99% of people "fall behind" - 稂.
This character, at first glance, looks like "liang", but the pronunciation is very different, it is not pronounced "liáng", but "láng".
Speaking of the word "稂", we have to mention a well-known idiom - "no 稂 no 莠". First, let's demystify the meaning of this idiom. In ancient times, "稂" and "莠" were the names of two types of weeds, therefore, "稂不莠" was originally used to describe the absence of weeds in the fields and the good growth of crops.
But as time passed, the idiom gradually developed a new meaning, that is, a person is neither as useless as a straw, nor as harmful as a weed, but also not very useful, and is mostly used to describe a person who is not talented or unproductive.
Where does this idiom come from? It was first seen in the Book of Songs, Xiaoya, Datian, "Both strong and good, not bad and not bad." This is a kind of good expectation of the ancients for the growth of crops, hoping that only crops will grow in the fields, and no weeds will grow.
Now, let's go back to the word "稂". Why does this word make so many people "fall behind"? The reason may lie in its "appearance."
You see, "稂" and "liang" are similar in glyphs, except that there is an extra "he" next to the word. It is this "He" that makes the word "稂" and crops and weeds indissoluble.
So, what exactly does "稂" mean?
In Shuowen Jie Zi, "稂" is interpreted as a weed that is harmful to crops. This grass was very common in ancient farmland, competing with crops for nutrients, causing headaches for farmers. Therefore, to a certain extent, the character "稂" also carries the memory of ancient farming culture.
Interestingly, although the word "稂" is not commonly used in daily life, it often appears in literary works and idioms, and has become a "frequent visitor" in the writings of literati and ink writers. This also reflects the profoundness and richness of Chinese character culture.
Through this journey of the character "稂", we not only corrected a common pronunciation error, but also explored the idioms and cultural connotations related to "稂". I hope that in your future reading and writing, you will be able to use this word more accurately and appreciate the profound cultural heritage it contains.
Finally, let's end this journey with a little story. It is said that in ancient times, there was a diligent farmer who worked hard every day in the hope that only crops would grow in the fields and no weeds. Over the course of a year, his fields were indeed "neither cropped nor cropped", and the harvest was gratifying.
This story tells us that if we put in the effort, we will be able to reap the good fruits. The word "稂" is like a small grass in that field, although it is small, it carries rich cultural and historical connotations.