Learn a Chinese Character - 耕 (Gēng - Plow/Cultivate)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 耒 (lěi, plow, indicates related to farming tools or agriculture)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

Structure Analysis: Left-right structure. The left part "耒" (plow) is the semantic component, and the right part "井" (jǐng, well) is the phonetic component.

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Gēng (First tone)

3. Meaning

Core Meaning: To plow; to cultivate; to till the land; farming

Explanation: Refers to the act of preparing land for planting crops by plowing or cultivating. It is closely related to agriculture and farming activities.

4. Common Words

• 耕地 (gēng dì) - Cultivated land; Farmland
  Example: 这片耕地很肥沃。(Zhè piàn gēng dì hěn féi wò.) - This cultivated land is very fertile.
• 耕作 (gēng zuò) - Cultivation; Farming
  Example: 农民们在田地里耕作。(Nóng mín men zài tián dì lǐ gēng zuò.) - Farmers are cultivating in the fields.
• 耕耘 (gēng yún) - To plow and weed; To work hard
  Example: 一分耕耘，一分收获。(Yī fēn gēng yún, yī fēn shōu huò.) - No pain, no gain.
• 耕田 (gēng tián) - To plow the field
  Example: 春天是耕田的好时节。(Chūn tiān shì gēng tián de hǎo shí jié.) - Spring is a good season for plowing fields.
• 机耕 (jī gēng) - Mechanical plowing
  Example: 现在很多地方都实现了机耕。(Xiàn zài hěn duō dì fang dōu shí xiàn le jī gēng.) - Mechanical plowing has been realized in many places now.

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech: Verb; Noun

Usage Patterns:

• As a verb (to plow, to cultivate):
  Example: 他们每天都在地里耕作。(Tā men měi tiān dōu zài dì lǐ gēng zuò.) - They cultivate in the fields every day.
• As a noun (farming):
  Example: 古代中国以农耕为主。(Gǔ dài zhōng guó yǐ nóng gēng wéi zhǔ.) - Ancient China was mainly based on farming.
• In compound words related to agriculture:
  Example: 春耕秋收是农民的重要工作。(Chūn gēng qiū shōu shì nóng mín de zhòng yào gōng zuò.) - Spring plowing and autumn harvesting are important work for farmers.

Common Collocations:

• 耕作方式 (gēng zuò fāng shì) - Farming method
• 精耕细作 (jīng gēng xì zuò) - Intensive cultivation
• 休耕 (xiū gēng) - Fallow land; To let land lie fallow
• 深耕 (shēn gēng) - Deep plowing

6. Cultural Background

The character "耕" (gēng) has profound cultural significance in Chinese history, closely related to the country's agricultural heritage and values.

Cultural Significance:

• China has been an agricultural country for thousands of years, and "耕" represents the foundation of Chinese civilization and economy.
• The phrase "男耕女织" (nán gēng nǚ zhī, men plow and women weave) describes the traditional division of labor in Chinese society, highlighting the importance of farming.
• The character is often used in idioms and proverbs to symbolize hard work and reaping what one sows, such as "一分耕耘，一分收获" (yī fēn gēng yún, yī fēn shōu huò, no pain no gain).

Historical Context: The character "耕" dates back to oracle bone script, originally depicting a plow working in the field, reflecting the importance of agriculture in ancient Chinese society.

Modern Usage: While modern China has seen rapid industrialization and urbanization, "耕" remains an important cultural symbol, and the government still emphasizes the importance of agricultural production and food security.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

• Component Association: Remember that "耕" consists of "耒" (plow) and "井" (well). Think of plowing the land near a well for irrigation.
• Image Association: Visualize a farmer plowing the field with a plow to remember the meaning of "to plow" or "to cultivate".
• Sound Association: The pronunciation "gēng" sounds similar to "更" (gēng), but they have different meanings. Remember the difference by their radicals.
• Common Phrases: Practice using "耕地" (gēng dì, farmland) and "耕耘" (gēng yún, to work hard) to remember the character and its usage.