杂草丛生 (zá cǎo cóng shēng) — overgrown with weeds; (figurative) messy, disorderly, full of problems

Definition

Literally 'weeds grow in thickets.' Used literally for untended places, and figuratively for situations overrun by problems or disorder.

idiom
overgrown with weeds(figurative) messydisorderlyfull of problems

Examples

  • ，杂草丛生。
    Zhè ge huā yuán hěn jiǔ méi rén dǎ lǐ, yǐ jīng zá cǎo cóng shēng le.
    This garden hasn't been taken care of for a long time, and it's already overgrown with weeds.
  • ，杂草丛生，。
    Tā de wén zhāng lùn diǎn hùn luàn, xiàng zá cǎo cóng shēng yí yàng, ràng rén zhuā bú zhù zhòng diǎn.
    His article's arguments are chaotic, like weeds overgrowing, making it hard to grasp the key point.
  • ，杂草丛生。
    Zhè ge shì chǎng guǎn lǐ bú shàn, gè zhǒng wèn tí zá cǎo cóng shēng.
    This market is poorly managed, and various problems are springing up like weeds.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

杂草weeds
杂zámiscellaneous草cǎograss/weed
偏正Modifier + head
丛生grow in clumps
丛cóngin clumps生shēnggrow
偏正Modifier + head

杂草 (weeds) and 丛生 (grow in clumps) together picture land overrun by weeds.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
早
早zǎo草cǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

草 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 早, which gives the sound. The form originally referred to another word and was later used for the grass sense.

Open 草 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 叢; 丛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
丵丵zhuó
Sound part声符shēngfú
取
取qǔ叢cóng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 叢 for 丛 combines 丵 with 取, where 取 gives the sound.

Open 丛 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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