耕 meaning and stroke order
To plow, to cultivate
How to write 耕, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 耕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to plow
- to till
- variant of 耕[geng1]
How 耕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plow.
耒 gives the meaning and 井 hints at the sound.
Radical: 耒 (plow), shared by 18 characters on this site.
How to remember 耕
耕 (gēng) puts the plow 耒 (lěi) next to 井 (jǐng), which gives the sound. Picture a plow cutting a grid of furrows that looks like the lines of 井 across a field.
耕 is mostly used in compounds about farming, such as 耕地 (gēngdì) and 耕种 (gēngzhòng), and it is more common in writing than in casual speech. Example: 农民在田里耕地。(Nóngmín zài tián lǐ gēngdì.) The farmers are plowing in the field.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 未 or 来, but 耒 has three horizontal strokes on top before the vertical and the two falling strokes. Also keep the first tone gēng and do not confuse it with 更 (gèng, more).
Common words with 耕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
耕 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 耕
How many strokes are in 耕?
耕 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 耕 mean?
耕 (gēng) means to plow, to cultivate. A common word with it is 耕地 (gēngdì), meaning "arable land; to plow land".
How do you pronounce 耕?
耕 is pronounced gēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 耕?
The radical of 耕 is 耒, which carries the idea of "plow". Dictionaries list 耕 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 耕?
The traditional form of 耕 is 畊. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 耕 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 耕 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 耕 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 笔耕 mean?
笔耕 (bǐgēng) literally means plowing with a pen. It describes making a living by writing, or working hard at writing.
What is the difference between 耕种 and 种植?
耕种 (gēngzhòng) covers the whole work of tilling the land and growing crops. 种植 (zhòngzhí) focuses on planting or growing specific plants, like trees or vegetables.