寸草不生
cùn cǎo bù shēng
so barren that not a blade of grass grows
Character by character
寸cùn
inch
inch
草cǎo
grass
grass
不bù
not
not
生shēng
grow
grow
Example
那座矿山关闭多年，山坡上至今寸草不生。
The mine closed years ago, yet not a blade of grass grows on the hillside even now.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
寸 is the Chinese inch: not even an inch of grass grows. Said of deserts, salt flats and poisoned ground, often with 几乎, 一度 or 至今: 寸草不生的荒山. Its opposite picture is 绿树成荫.
Learn this in Lesson 170 · HSK 7–9: 绿色长城 (The Green Great Wall)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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