Chinese Character: 禾
1. Character Basics
Radical: 禾/hé (grain plant)
Stroke Count: 5 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hé (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: Standing grain; cereal crops; rice plant
Extended Meaning: Harvest; agricultural products; grains in general
Additional Meaning: Often used to represent agriculture, harvest, or food crops in Chinese culture
4. Common Words
- 禾苗 (hé miáo) - Rice seedlings; young crops
Example: 春天到了，农民开始种禾苗。
(Spring has come, and farmers begin to plant rice seedlings.) - 禾田 (hé tián) - Rice field; grain field
Example: 这片禾田的收成很好。
(The harvest in this rice field is very good.) - 禾谷 (hé gǔ) - Cereal grains; crops
Example: 秋天是禾谷成熟的季节。
(Autumn is the season when cereal grains ripen.) - 禾穗 (hé suì) - Ear of grain; rice ear
Example: 沉甸甸的禾穗弯下了腰。
(The heavy ears of grain bowed down.) - 禾本科 (hé běn kē) - Grass family (botany)
Example: 小麦属于禾本科植物。
(Wheat belongs to the grass family.)
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Noun
Usage:
- Primarily used as a noun referring to grain plants or cereal crops
- Often appears in compound words related to agriculture and farming
- Can be used as a radical in many Chinese characters related to plants and agriculture
Common Structures:
- 禾 + [noun]: Forming words related to grains (e.g., 禾苗, 禾田)
- [adjective] + 禾: Describing the state of crops (e.g., 青禾, 成熟禾)
Usage Notes: "禾" is a basic character in Chinese and is often used in combination with other characters to form agricultural terms.
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, "禾" holds significant meaning related to agriculture, which has been the foundation of Chinese civilization for thousands of years. The character itself depicts a stalk of grain with ears, symbolizing the importance of farming and food production.
Historically, the character "禾" appears in many ancient Chinese writings and oracle bone inscriptions, reflecting the central role of agriculture in early Chinese society. It is also used in traditional Chinese festivals related to farming, such as the Spring Festival (when seeds are planted) and the Mid-Autumn Festival (when crops are harvested).
Additionally, "禾" is an important radical in Chinese characters, forming many characters related to plants, agriculture, and food, such as 稻 (rice), 穗 (ear of grain), 种 (to plant), and 秋 (autumn).
7. Example Sentence
Example 1:
田里的禾苗长得很茂盛。
(The rice seedlings in the field are growing very lushly.)
Example 2:
农民们正在收割成熟的禾谷。
(Farmers are harvesting ripe cereal grains.)
Example 3:
秋天的田野里，金黄的禾穗随风摇摆。
(In the autumn fields, golden ears of grain sway in the wind.)
8. Memory Tips
1. Structure Memory: The character 禾 looks like a stalk of grain with ears at the top. Imagine a plant growing upwards with seeds at the top.
2. Image Association: Associate 禾 with images of rice fields, wheat fields, or other grain crops. Picture a farmer working in a field of crops.
3. Radical Recognition: Remember that 禾 itself is a radical and appears in many characters related to plants and agriculture.
4. Stroke Order Practice: Practice writing the character following the correct stroke order (horizontal, vertical撇, vertical, dot, dot) to help remember its structure.
5. Word Association: Learn common words containing 禾, such as 禾苗 (rice seedlings) and 禾田 (rice field), to reinforce your memory of the character.