Definitions

nóng (noun) agriculture; farming
nóng (noun) farmer; peasant

Etymology

Simplified form of . Depicts using a farming tool () in a field ().

About

The character for agriculture, originally depicted in its traditional form as "農", structurally conveys its core meaning through its components, which combine a representation of a tool, often interpreted as a pestle or a farming implement, with elements suggesting forest or woodland, thereby illustrating the early practice of clearing land for cultivation. This conceptual foundation, tied to the fundamental human activity of working the land, provided a stable semantic anchor, with the character's meaning expanding over centuries from the specific act of farming to encompass broader concepts like peasants, rural life, and agricultural affairs. The evolution of its written form saw a gradual streamlining of these original pictorial elements, a process culminating in the widely adopted simplified form "农", which directly derives from historical cursive script variants that abstracted the lower portion of the traditional character while preserving its essential upper element.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

民在田里工作。

Nóngmín zài tián lǐ gōngzuò.

The farmer is working in the field.

业技术非常重要。

Nóngyè jìshù fēicháng zhòngyào.

Agricultural technology is very important.

我们喜欢吃产品。

Wǒmen xǐhuān chī nóngchǎnpǐn.

We like to eat agricultural products.

村的风景很美丽。

Nóngcūn de fēngjǐng hěn měilì.

The scenery in the countryside is very beautiful.

政府十分重视业。

Zhèngfǔ shífēn zhòngshì nóngyè.

The government attaches great importance to agriculture.

现代化业提高了效率。

Xiàndàihuà nóngyè tígāo le xiàolǜ.

Modernized agriculture has improved efficiency.

业政策影响村经济。

Nóngyè zhèngcè yǐngxiǎng nóngcūn jīngjì.

Agricultural policies affect the rural economy.

发展生态业有利于环保。

Fāzhǎn shēngtài nóngyè yǒulì yú huánbǎo.

Developing ecological agriculture is beneficial for environmental protection.