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耕作 (gēng zuò) — farming; cultivation (of land)

Definition

noun
farmingcultivation (of land)

Examples

  • 耕作。
    Zhè zhǒng gēng zuò fāng shì kě yǐ bǎo hù tǔ rǎng.
    This method of farming can protect the soil.
  • 耕作。
    Chuán tǒng de gēng zuò jì shù zhèng zài bèi xiàn dài huà qǔ dài.
    Traditional cultivation techniques are being replaced by modernization.
  • 耕作。
    Zhè piàn tǔ dì shì hé gēng zuò.
    This land is suitable for farming.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

耕gēngplow
作zuòwork

耕 (“plow”) and 作 (“work”) combine to mean cultivating the land.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耒耒lěitilling tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng耕gēng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耕 is built from 耒, a tilling tool, and 井, which gives the sound.

Open 耕 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →
Appears in
Agriculture & Farming

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