Definition
草根 is a loanword calqued from English 'grassroots'. In Chinese it refers to ordinary people, the lower or non-elite social strata, or anything that originates from the common population rather than official or elite sources. You'll see it in social commentary (草根阶层 'grassroots class'), cultural contexts (草根歌手 'grassroots singer'), and political discourse (草根民主 'grassroots democracy'). It carries a connotation of authenticity and closeness to everyday life.
n.
grassrootsordinary people (as a social group or class)
Examples
- 草根。cǎo gēn jiēcéng de shēngyīn yuèláiyuè shòudào zhòngshì.The voice of the grassroots class is getting more and more attention.
- 草根。Zhè wèi cǎo gēn gēshǒu píngjiè yuánchuàng zuòpǐn xùnsù zǒuhóng.This grassroots singer quickly became popular with original works.
- 草根。Tāmen tuīdòng le yì zhǒng zhēnzhèng de cǎo gēn mínzhǔ yùndòng.They promoted a genuine grassroots democracy movement.
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