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耨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
耨nòuto hoe, to rake; to weedHSK 7, g, 16 strokes, radical 耒, rank #82019, Very Hard
耨nòuhoeHSK 7, unknown, 16 strokes, radical 耒, rank #82019, Very Hard
nòu(nou4) T4
  1. 1to hoe, to rake; to weed
  2. 2hoe
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March 24, 2026

耨nòu(nou4)

The character 耨 (nòu) refers to the agricultural action of hoeing or raking, commonly used in the context of weeding crops. It emphasizes the manual labor involved in preparing the soil or removing unwanted plants, typically associated with farming practices.

Strokes16Radical耒Frequency#82019DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese farming practices, hoeing is a vital technique for maintaining rice paddies and vegetable farms, reflecting the importance of agriculture in Chinese culture and economy. This character highlights the labor-intensive nature of farming.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer using a large, shiny hoe (representing 耨) to clear weeds from a field. The left side of the character (耕) resembles a hoe digging into the earth, while the right side suggests the action of raking, helping you remember both the pronunciation 'nòu' and the meaning.

Meanings of 耨

nòu(nou4)
1to hoe, to rake; to weed
2hoe
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 耨

耨Simplified
16Strokes
耒Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 耨

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Podcast: 耨

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AI Study Notes for 耨

Quick Contrast

锄 (chú) vs 耨 (nòu): Use 锄 when specifically referring to hoeing with a hoe tool, whereas 耨 emphasizes the action of raking or weeding more generally.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 耨 with related agricultural terms like 耕 (to plow) and 除 (to remove). This character is more commonly used in rural or agricultural contexts and is less formal. Be mindful of using the correct tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to confusion with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

Though 耨 is not part of the official HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to farming and agriculture, such as 土 (tǔ - soil) and 作物 (zuòwù - crops). Focus on understanding its usage in agricultural contexts to enhance vocabulary retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 耨 with 耕 due to their similar meanings in agriculture. For example, saying '我耕田' (Wǒ gēng tián - I hoe the field) instead of '我耨田' (Wǒ nòu tián) can lead to misunderstanding, as 耕 specifically means 'to plow'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 耨

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Etymology of 耨

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

plow

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 耨

  1. 1The meaning half耒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half辱 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayplow
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 耨? 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 耨?

Decomposition of 耨

IDS Structure⿰耒辱
耨Full Character
=
耒lei3
left
辱ru3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 耨?

How to say to hoe, to rake; to weed in Chinese

“to hoe, to rake; to weed” in Chinese is耨nòu

The character 耨 (nòu) refers to the agricultural action of hoeing or raking, commonly used in the context of weeding crops. It emphasizes the manual labor involved in preparing the soil or removing unwanted plants, typically associated with farming practices.

When to use 耨

Learners often confuse 耨 with related agricultural terms like 耕 (to plow) and 除 (to remove). This character is more commonly used in rural or agricultural contexts and is less formal. Be mindful of using the correct tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to confusion with other characters.

耨 or something close to it

锄 (chú) vs 耨 (nòu): Use 锄 when specifically referring to hoeing with a hoe tool, whereas 耨 emphasizes the action of raking or weeding more generally.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 耨 with 耕 due to their similar meanings in agriculture. For example, saying '我耕田' (Wǒ gēng tián - I hoe the field) instead of '我耨田' (Wǒ nòu tián) can lead to misunderstanding, as 耕 specifically means 'to plow'.

Write 耨

耨

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

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Word Family of 耨

Words Containing This Character1
耨nòuhoe
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 耨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 耨

It is pronounced as 'nòu', with a falling tone.

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