耕

耕 U+8015, 耕 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8015 ← 耔 [U+8014] CJK Unified Ideographs 耖 → [U+8016]

Translingual

Han character

耕 (Kangxi radical 127, 耒+4, 10 strokes, cangjie input 手木廿廿 (QDTT), four-corner 5590₀, composition ⿰耒井)

Derived characters

• 𦷂, 𮋫, 𮅰

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 962, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 28907
• Dae Jaweon: page 1410, character 23
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2770, character 10
• Unihan data for U+8015

Chinese

trad.		耕
simp. #		耕
alternative forms		畊

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 耕
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (井) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
硎	*kʰreːŋ, *ɡeːŋ
耕	*kreːŋ
荊	*keŋ
井	*skeŋʔ
丼	*kl'oːmʔ, *skeŋʔ
妌	*sɡeŋʔ
穽	*sɡeŋʔ, *sɡeŋs
阱	*sɡeŋʔ, *sɡeŋs
汫	*sɡeːŋʔ
刑	*ɡeːŋ
形	*ɡeːŋ
邢	*ɡeːŋ
鉶	*ɡeːŋ
型	*ɡeːŋ
侀	*ɡeːŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kreːŋ): semantic 耒 (“tilling tool”) + phonetic 井 (OC *skeŋʔ).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): gēng (geng¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄥ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): gen¹

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gaang¹ / gang¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): gang¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kâng

  (Meixian, Guangdong): gang¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): geng¹ / jing¹
• Northern Min (KCR): gáing
• Eastern Min (BUC): gĕng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): geng¹ / ga¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): keng / kng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gên¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kan; ¹ken
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gen¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gēng
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: geng
    • Wade–Giles: kêng¹
    • Yale: gēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: geng
    • Palladius: гэн (gɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: gen¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gen
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gaang¹ / gang¹
    • Yale: gāang / gāng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gaang¹ / gang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gang¹ / geng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːŋ⁵⁵/, /kɐŋ⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: gang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kâng
    • Hakka Romanization System: gang^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kaŋ²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: gang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kaŋ⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: geng¹ / jing¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kəŋ¹¹/, /t͡ɕiŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gáing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaiŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gĕng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛiŋ⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: geng¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: geng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛŋ⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: geng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛŋ⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ga¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ka⁵³³/

Note:

• geng1 - literary;
• ga1 - used in place names (e.g. 西耕).

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: keng
    • Tâi-lô: king
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kefng
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kiɪŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kiɪŋ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kng
    • Tâi-lô: kng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kngf
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kŋ̍³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gên¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: keⁿ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kẽ³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹kan; ¹ken
    • MiniDict: kan^平; ken^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kan; ¹ken
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kã⁵³/, /kən⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: gen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kən³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 耕
Mandarin	Beijing	/kəŋ⁵⁵/ /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕiŋ⁴⁴/ /kəŋ⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/kəŋ²¹/
	Jinan	/kəŋ²¹³/ /t͡ɕiŋ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕiŋ²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/kəŋ²⁴/
	Xi'an	/kəŋ²¹/
	Xining	/kə̃⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/kəŋ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/kə̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/kɤŋ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/kən⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/kən⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ken⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/kə̃⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/kən³¹/
	Hefei	/kən²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/kəŋ¹¹/ 農～ /t͡ɕiəŋ¹¹/ ～地
	Pingyao	/kəŋ¹³/ /t͡ɕie̞¹³/ ～地
	Hohhot	/kə̃ŋ³¹/ 春～ /t͡ɕĩŋ³¹/ ～地
Wu	Shanghai	/kəŋ⁵³/
	Suzhou	/kən⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ken³³/
	Wenzhou	/kiɛ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/kʌ̃³¹/ /kɛ³¹/
	Tunxi	/t͡ɕiɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/kən³³/
	Xiangtan	/kən³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/kɑŋ⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/kaŋ⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/kɑŋ²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɐŋ⁵³/ /kaŋ⁵³/
	Nanning	/kaŋ⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kaŋ⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kiŋ⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kɛiŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kaiŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kẽ³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/keŋ²³/ /kɔŋ²³/ /kɛ²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: keang

Rime
Character	耕
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	耕 (117)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	古莖切
Baxter	keang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠɛŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚæŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kɐŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəɨjŋ/
Li Rong	/kɛŋ/
Wang Li	/kæŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kæŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gēng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gang1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤ<r>eŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kreːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	耕
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gēng
Middle Chinese	‹ kɛng ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁ<r>eŋ/
English	plow (v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	耕
Reading #	1/1
No.	6850
Phonetic component	井
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	耕
Old Chinese	/*kreːŋ/

Definitions

耕

1. (literal) to plow; to till
2. (figurative) to undertake; to work

   筆耕／笔耕  ―  bǐgēng  ―  to engage in writing

Synonyms

• (to plow):

edit

• 作 (Hokkien, Teochew)
• 犁 (lí)
• 穓 (yì) (literary)
• 耕作 (gēngzuò)
• 耕地 (gēngdì)
• 農耕 / 农耕 (nónggēng)

Compounds

• 中耕
• 代耕
• 休耕 (xiūgēng)
• 備耕 / 备耕 (bèigēng)
• 傭耕 / 佣耕
• 刀耕火種 / 刀耕火种 (dāogēnghuǒzhòng)
• 刀耕火耨
• 可耕地 (kěgēngdì)
• 套耕
• 女織男耕 / 女织男耕
• 寒耕暑耘
• 寒耕熱耘 / 寒耕热耘
• 廢耕 / 废耕
• 廣耕 / 广耕
• 心織筆耕 / 心织笔耕
• 春耕 (chūngēng)
• 歸耕 / 归耕
• 水耕
• 水耕栽培 (shuǐgēng zāipéi)
• 水耕法
• 水耕蔬菜
• 深耕 (shēngēng)
• 深耕易耨
• 游耕
• 火耕
• 火耕水種 / 火耕水种
• 火耕水耨
• 火耕流種 / 火耕流种
• 火耨刀耕
• 男耕女織 / 男耕女织 (nángēngnǚzhī)
• 目耕
• 硯耕 / 砚耕
• 礫耕栽培 / 砾耕栽培
• 秋耕
• 筆耕 / 笔耕 (bǐgēng)
• 筆耕墨耘 / 笔耕墨耘
• 等高耕作
• 築室反耕 / 筑室反耕
• 精耕
• 精耕細作 / 精耕细作
• 耕九餘三 / 耕九余三
• 耕作 (gēngzuò)
• 耕具 (gēngjù)
• 耕前耡後 / 耕前锄后
• 耕地 (gēngdì)
• 耕地放領 / 耕地放领
• 耕墾 / 耕垦
• 耕夫
• 耕寬 / 耕宽
• 耕御路
• 耕戶 / 耕户
• 耕牛 (gēngniú)
• 耕牧
• 耕犁
• 耕田 (gēngtián)
• 耕畜 (gēngchù)
• 耕當問奴 / 耕当问奴
• 耕種 / 耕种 (gēngzhòng)
• 耕稼
• 耕織 / 耕织
• 耕者
• 耕耘 (gēngyún)
• 耕耘機 / 耕耘机 (gēngyúnjī)
• 耕耨
• 耕讀 / 耕读 (gēngdú)
• 耕讀傳家 / 耕读传家
• 耕鋤 / 耕锄
• 耦耕
• 自耕農 / 自耕农 (zìgēngnóng)
• 舌耕 (shégēng)
• 親耕 / 亲耕
• 谷口耕岩
• 躬耕 (gōnggēng)
• 躬耕樂道 / 躬耕乐道
• 輟耕壟上 / 辍耕垄上
• 輟耕錄 / 辍耕录
• 農耕 / 农耕 (nónggēng)
• 農耕隊 / 农耕队
• 鑿飲耕食 / 凿饮耕食
• 默默耕耘

References

• “耕”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “耕”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 267.