Mnemonic
In the wild grass at the edge of a field, you notice something special—a tiny seedling pushing up through the soil. You kneel down and cup the seedling gently: it was born where grass meets field, sheltered and ready to grow into something extraordinary.
Additional thoughts
Picture the kanji visually: grass radical on top (艹) sheltering the field radical (田) below. A seedling is literally grass emerging from a field. The image of kneeling at the field's grassy edge reinforces the top-bottom structure.Quick recall
A Seedling sprouts where grass meets the field.Details
The keyword for 苗 is seedling. This kanji refers to a young plant or sprout, particularly one that has just begun to grow from a seed and is ready to be transplanted. It is commonly associated with rice seedlings in the context of Japanese agriculture, where young rice plants are cultivated in nursery beds before being moved to paddy fields. By extension, it can also convey the idea of something in its early, developing stage.
- On'yomi
- びょう、みょう
- Kun'yomi
- なえ、なわ-