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佃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
diàntenant farmer; to be a tenant farmern, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
diànfarmerunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
diànto cultivateunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
diànto huntunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
tiántenant farmer; to be a tenant farmern, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
tiánfarmerunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
tiánto cultivateunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
tiánto huntunknown, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #50115, Very Hard
diàn(dian4)
primary
T4
  1. 1tenant farmer; to be a tenant farmer
  2. 2farmer
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
diàn(dian4)

The character 佃 (diàn) refers to a tenant farmer, someone who cultivates land that is owned by another person. It can also imply the act of cultivating or farming land, as well as hunting in certain contexts. This term is commonly used in discussions about agricultural practices and rural life in China.

Strokes7RadicalFrequency#50115DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Tenant farming has historical significance in China, particularly during the feudal era, where many farmers worked land owned by landlords. This practice has shaped rural relationships and agricultural policies in modern China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer (田 - tián) standing next to a person (亻 - rén) who owns the land. The farmer (佃) is dependent on the landowner, symbolizing the tenant relationship. Remember 'diàn' sounds like 'debt' because the tenant farmer often owes rent or labor to the landowner.

Meanings of 佃

diàn(dian4)
primary
1tenant farmer; to be a tenant farmer
2farmer
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 佃

Simplified
7Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 佃

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AI Study Notes for 佃

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a farmer (田 - tián) standing next to a person (亻 - rén) who owns the land. The farmer (佃) is dependent on the landowner, symbolizing the tenant relationship. Remember 'diàn' sounds like 'debt' because the tenant farmer often owes rent or labor to the landowner.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 佃 with other farming-related terms, such as 农 (nóng), which refers more generally to agriculture. This term is more specific to tenant farming and may not be suitable in formal contexts where ownership is emphasized. Common collocations include 佃户 (tenant farmer) and 佃田 (tenant land).

HSK Study Tips

Since 佃 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, focus on understanding its context within agricultural discussions. It connects to words related to farming (e.g., 农业 - nóngyè) and land (e.g., 土地 - tǔdì). Students should pay attention to the radicals and components to better understand similar characters.

Cultural Note

Tenant farming has historical significance in China, particularly during the feudal era, where many farmers worked land owned by landlords. This practice has shaped rural relationships and agricultural policies in modern China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 佃 with 农, mistakenly using it in contexts that refer to general farming. For example, saying '我是一名佃' (I am a farmer) should be corrected to '我是一名农民' (I am a farmer) unless specifically referring to being a tenant farmer.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 佃

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Etymology of 佃

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A person 亻 on the farm 田; 田 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 佃?

Decomposition of 佃

IDS Structure⿰亻田
Full Character
=
ren2
left
Tian2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 佃?

Write 佃

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

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Grammar Patterns of 佃

佃 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

埃及大部分土地都租给“皇家 ” ____农.

Most of his land was leased to " royal tenants ".

Example Sentences for 佃 (1)

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1
埃及大部分土地都租给“皇家 ” 佃农.

āi jí dà bù fēn tǔ dì dū zū gěi“ “ huáng” jiā ”.

Most of his land was leased to " royal tenants ".

Cultural Notes for 佃

🏮Cultural insight

Tenant farming has historical significance in China, particularly during the feudal era, where many farmers worked land owned by landlords. This practice has shaped rural relationships and agricultural policies in modern China.

Word Family of 佃

Words Containing This Character4
佃农tenant farmer佃農
diànfarmer
佃户tenant farmer佃戶
租佃to rent out one's land (to tenant farmers)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 佃农 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 佃

佃 specifically refers to tenant farmers, while 农 is a broader term for agriculture and farming.