苗 (miáo) – Word of the Day | Toronto Chinese Academy
Learn the Mandarin word “苗 (miáo)” — meaning seedling, sprout, or young plant. Includes pinyin, English definitions, example sentences, and visually similar characters.
Simplified： 苗
Pinyin： miáo
Traditional： 苗
Seedling, sprout, young plant
Descendants, lineage
Figurative: potential, trace, indication
Examples:
1,
田里长满了禾苗。
The field is full of rice seedlings.
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2,
医生给孩子打了一针疫苗。
The doctor gave the child a vaccination.
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3,
他是个有前途的好苗子。
He is a promising young talent.
Visually Similar / Easily Confused Characters
At Toronto Chinese Academy, we explain 苗 both in its agricultural sense (seedlings, young sprouts) and in its extended sense (talent, lineage, potential). It’s a versatile character appearing in both daily life (疫苗) and metaphorical contexts (好苗子).