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畛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
畛zhěnborder, boundary; raised pathg, 10 strokes, radical 田
畛zhěnfield-pathunknown, 10 strokes, radical 田
zhěn(zhen3) T3
  1. 1border, boundary; raised path
  2. 2field-path
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

畛zhěn(zhen3)

The character 畛 (zhěn) refers to a border or boundary, particularly within fields or land. It can denote a raised path or a pathway that serves as a boundary in agricultural contexts, illustrating the division of land. This word is often used in discussions about agriculture and land management.

Strokes10Radical田
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese agriculture, land divisions were crucial for farming practices and ownership. The concept of boundaries in fields, as represented by 畛, reflects how land was organized and managed in historical and modern farming.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer walking along a raised path (the 'zhěn') in a field. The path marks the boundary between different sections of crops, helping him keep track of where one field ends and another begins. The character’s components suggest land (田) and a boundary (阡), connecting its meaning to places where boundaries are essential.

Meanings of 畛

zhěn(zhen3)
1border, boundary; raised path
2field-path
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 畛

畛Simplified
10Strokes
田Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 畛

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Podcast: 畛

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AI Study Notes for 畛

Usage Notes

This character is less commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for formal or literary contexts, particularly those related to agriculture. Learners should be cautious of confusing it with similar-sounding or looking characters. The tone is the third tone (zhěn), which can sometimes be mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 畛 is not part of the current HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to the agricultural vocabulary often encountered at HSK Level 4 and above. Students should focus on understanding its usage in texts about farming and land management to see how it connects with other terms in this domain.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 畛 with similar characters like 阵 (zhèn), which relates to formations or arrangements. Remember that 畛 specifically relates to boundaries or paths in fields.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 畛

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Etymology of 畛

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

field

Semantic (meaning)田
+
Phonetic (sound)㐱
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 畛

  1. 1The meaning half田 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half㐱 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfield
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 畛? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 畛?

Decomposition of 畛

IDS Structure⿰田㐱
畛Full Character
=
田Tian2
left
㐱zhen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 畛?

How to say border, boundary; raised path in Chinese

“border, boundary; raised path” in Chinese is畛zhěn

The character 畛 (zhěn) refers to a border or boundary, particularly within fields or land. It can denote a raised path or a pathway that serves as a boundary in agricultural contexts, illustrating the division of land. This word is often used in discussions about agriculture and land management.

When to use 畛

This character is less commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for formal or literary contexts, particularly those related to agriculture. Learners should be cautious of confusing it with similar-sounding or looking characters. The tone is the third tone (zhěn), which can sometimes be mispronounced.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 畛 with similar characters like 阵 (zhèn), which relates to formations or arrangements. Remember that 畛 specifically relates to boundaries or paths in fields.

Write 畛

畛

Practice writing 畛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 畛

Words Containing This Character2
畛zhěnborder
畛域scope
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 畛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 畛

No, 畛 is more often found in formal or literary texts related to agriculture.

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Not sure what to learn after 畛?

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