一草一木

yīcǎo-yīmù

idiom #78,206

Meanings

1 every blade of grass and every tree
2 every little thing
3 the tiniest details of a place

Characters

Examples

我熟悉故乡的一草一木。

Wǒ shúxī gùxiāng de yīcǎoyīmù.

I know every blade of grass and every tree in my hometown.

他爱护这里的一草一木。

Tā àihù zhèlǐ de yīcǎoyīmù.

He cherishes every little thing about this place.

校园里的一草一木都承载着回忆。

Xiàoyuán lǐ de yīcǎoyīmù dōu chéngzài zhe huíyì.

Every corner of the campus carries its own memory.

Tips

history

Recorded in 《后汉书·应劭传》: '春一草枯则为灾，秋一木华亦为异' — 'in spring, a single withered blade is a bad omen; in autumn, a single flowering tree is strange'. The parallel 一草 / 一木 became standard shorthand for 'every small thing'.

usage

Nearly always used with 熟悉, 爱护, 珍惜, 了解 — verbs of knowing or cherishing. Signals deep personal attachment to a place.

Stroke Order

一 yī

草 cǎo

木 mù