草
cou²
The Cantonese word for "grass" is 草 (cou²).
The word 草 is used both for the general category of grass and as a component in many compound words related to plants and vegetation.
Meaning: ground cover plant (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term 草地 (cou² dei²) can be used to refer specifically to a lawn or a grassy area/field.
How do you pronounce it?
cou²
Did you know?
- Cantonese speakers use the phrase 食草 ('eat grass') to describe someone who is a vegetarian, often in a lighthearted or teasing way.
- In the context of calligraphy, the term 'grass script' (草書) refers to a highly cursive, nearly abstract style of writing that is difficult even for native speakers to read.
- When someone is described as 草率 (cou² seut¹), it does not mean they are like grass, but that they are careless or sloppy in their work.
Examples in context
- 唔好喺個草地度行。Don't trample on the grass.Tatoeba #395074 by nickyeow, translation #265294 by CM
- 啲男仔唔坐花園啲長櫈，就瞓喺啲軟草上面。The boys do not sit on benches in the garden, but lie on the soft grass.Tatoeba #4465837 by kaenif, translation #2324188 by nimfeo
- 牛食草。Cattle feed on grass.Tatoeba #6362124 by nickyeow, translation #19492 by CK
- 公園有好靚嘅青草。The park has beautiful green grass.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking in a park during a sunny afternoon.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit嗰邊啲草好綠呀。go2 bin1 di1 cou3 hou2 luk6 aa3.The grass over there is very green.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，好似地毯咁。hai6 aa3, hou2 ci5 dei6 taan2 gam2.Yes, it looks like a carpet.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit我哋去嗰度坐下啦。ngo5 dei6 heoi3 go2 dou6 co5 haa6 laa1.Let's go sit over there.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting好呀，等我攞張蓆。hou2 aa3, dang2 ngo5 lo2 zoeng1 ceoi2.Okay, let me get a mat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grass” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
