耕

畊

gēng

井 + 耒

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

gēng (verb) to plow; to till

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 耒 represents the meaning and 井 represents the sound. Simplified form of 畊.

Semantic: 耒 Phonetic: 井

About

耕 is a phono-semantic compound and the simplified form of 畊. The left side, 耒 (lěi, a wooden plow), anchors it in farming, while the right side, 井 (jǐng, well), supplies the sound and also evokes the grid-like pattern of fields. Its primary meaning is plowing and tilling the soil. Because this foundational work is essential to a harvest, the character has taken on a broader metaphorical sense: any diligent, enduring labor or meticulous cultivation in intellectual, artistic, or professional pursuits.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

农民在耕地。

Nóngmín zài gēngdì.

The farmer is plowing the land.

他每天耕种田地。

Tā měitiān gēngzhòng tiándì.

He cultivates the field every day.

春天是耕作的好时节。

Chūntiān shì gēngzuò de hǎo shíjié.

Spring is a good time for farming.

这片肥沃的土地适合耕种。

Zhè piàn féiwò de tǔdì shìhé gēngzhòng.

This fertile land is suitable for cultivation.

为了丰收，农民辛勤耕作。

Wèile fēngshōu, nóngmín xīnqín gēngzuò.

For a good harvest, farmers work hard.

现代农业使用机器耕种。

Xiàndài nóngyè shǐyòng jīqì gēngzhòng.

Modern agriculture uses machines for cultivation.

比起传统耕作，机械化耕作更高效。

Bǐqǐ chuántǒng gēngzuò, jīxièhuà gēngzuò gèng gāoxiào.

Compared to traditional farming, mechanized farming is more efficient.

只有在精心耕作下，土地才能持续产出。

Zhǐyǒu zài jīngxīn gēngzuò xià, tǔdì cáinéng chíxù chǎnchū.

Only under careful cultivation can the land continuously produce.

Related Characters

Component: 井

Component: 耒

耕