种草 → 长草 → 拔草 → 割草: The Chinese Slang Lifecycle of Wanting

Trendy Chinese Podcast 舌尖上的中文播客 · Sep 20, 2026 · 5m

Ever been “planted,” “grown,” “pulled,” and finally “harvested” by a product you wanted?

Chinese internet slang turned shopping desire into an entire grass lifecycle — and it’s way more revealing than it sounds.

In this episode of Trendy Chinese | Chinese Slang & Culture, we unpack four closely connected expressions:

🌱 种草 zhòng cǎo — when someone plants the desire for something in your mind

🌿 长草 zhǎng cǎo — when that desire keeps growing

🛍️ 拔草 bá cǎo — originally giving up the desire, but now often finally buying, trying, or checking it off your list

✂️ 割草 gē cǎo — when marketing starts…