Definition
寸草不生 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'not even an inch of grass grows'. It describes land that is completely barren or desolate — so dry, salty, or degraded that nothing can survive. You can use it literally for deserts or wastelands, or figuratively for a place that feels lifeless and empty. The structure is a fixed pattern: 寸草 (an inch of grass) + 不 (not) + 生 (grow).
idiom
barrendesolatelifeless — describes land where nothing grows
Examples
- 寸草不生，。Zhè piàn shāmò cùn cǎo bù shēng, méiyǒu rènhé zhíwù.This desert is barren, with no plants at all.
- 寸草不生，。Nàge dìfang cùn cǎo bù shēng, lián yì kē shù dōu kàn bú jiàn.That place is so desolate you can't even see a single tree.
- ，寸草不生。Jīngguò duō nián de wūrǎn, zhèlǐ biàn de cùn cǎo bù shēng le.After years of pollution, this place has become barren.
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