Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
耠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
耠huōto dig, to tillv, 12 strokes, radical 耒
huō(huo1)huo T1
  1. 1to dig, to till
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

耠huō(huo1)

The character 耠 (huō) means 'to dig' or 'to till,' often in the context of preparing soil for agriculture. It is commonly used in farming and gardening contexts to describe the action of turning over the earth to promote growth.

Strokes12Radical耒
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, agriculture has been highly valued, and terms related to farming like 耠 reflect the importance of working the land. The character is reminiscent of ancient agricultural practices that have been passed down through generations.

Memory tip

Imagine a farmer using a hoe (sounds like 'huō') to dig into the ground. The character 耠 has the radical 耳 (ear) which can symbolize listening to the earth's needs, while the remaining components suggest the action of digging or tilling.

Meanings of 耠

huō(huo1)
1to dig, to till
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 耠 means.

About 耠

耠Simplified
12Strokes
耒Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 耠

JasonAmy

Podcast: 耠

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 耠

Quick Contrast

耕 (gēng) - use 耠 when referring specifically to digging or tilling, while 耕 emphasizes the act of plowing the soil for planting.

Usage Notes

While 耠 is primarily used in agricultural contexts, it might not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Be careful with the tone; it is pronounced with a first tone (huō), which can be confused with similar-sounding words in other tones.

HSK Study Tips

Although 耠 is not part of the current HSK levels, it can be useful for learners interested in agriculture-related vocabulary. Focus on related words like 土 (tǔ, soil) and 耕 (gēng, to plow) to build a thematic vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 耠 with similar characters like 挖 (wā, to dig), leading to the wrong usage in context. For example, saying '我想耠土' (wǒ xiǎng huō tǔ) instead of '我想挖土' (wǒ xiǎng wā tǔ) is incorrect if referring to digging in general.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 耠

Premium — Locked

Tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 耠, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsPitch drawing+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 耠 to you

Let me explain 耠 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 耠 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How well do you know 耠?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 耠 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 耠

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

plow

Semantic (meaning)耒
+
Phonetic (sound)合
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

耠 = 耒 + 合. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 耠

IDS Structure⿰耒合
耠Full character
=
耒lei3
left
合ge3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 耠?

How to say to dig, to till in Chinese

“to dig, to till” in Chinese is耠huō

The character 耠 (huō) means 'to dig' or 'to till,' often in the context of preparing soil for agriculture. It is commonly used in farming and gardening contexts to describe the action of turning over the earth to promote growth.

When to use 耠

While 耠 is primarily used in agricultural contexts, it might not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Be careful with the tone; it is pronounced with a first tone (huō), which can be confused with similar-sounding words in other tones.

耠 or something close to it

耕 (gēng) - use 耠 when referring specifically to digging or tilling, while 耕 emphasizes the act of plowing the soil for planting.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 耠 with similar characters like 挖 (wā, to dig), leading to the wrong usage in context. For example, saying '我想耠土' (wǒ xiǎng huō tǔ) instead of '我想挖土' (wǒ xiǎng wā tǔ) is incorrect if referring to digging in general.

Write 耠

耠

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 耠?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Frequently asked questions about 耠

No, 耠 is more specialized and not frequently used in everyday conversation.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 耠?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab