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耕种 (gēng zhòng) — to till (land); to cultivate (crops)

Definition

verb
to till (land)to cultivate (crops)

Examples

  • 耕种。
    Nóng mín zài chūn tiān gēng zhòng tǔ dì.
    Farmers till the land in spring.
  • 耕种。
    Zhè piàn dì shì hé gēng zhòng xiǎo mài.
    This land is suitable for planting wheat.
  • 耕种。
    Tā men yòng chuán tǒng fāng fǎ gēng zhòng.
    They cultivate using traditional methods.

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
种zhǒngplant

耕 means plow and 种 means plant, so together they describe tilling and cultivating.

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
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
中
中zhōng种zhǒng
Same sound today

种 pairs 禾, which shows rice or grain and fits meanings like plant and seed, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 种 →
Appears in
Agriculture & Farming

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