Understanding "耕地" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 耕地
• Pinyin: gēngdì
• Literal Meaning: “plow” + “land”
• Primary Meaning: arable land; cultivated farmland. It can also be used as a verb meaning “to plow / till the land.”

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage: 耕地 is a common, fairly formal word used in news, geography, agriculture, and everyday talk about farming and land use. As a noun, it means land that is (or can be) farmed—fields under cultivation, as opposed to wasteland, forest, or built-up land. You will often see it with words like 面积 (area), 保护 (protect), and 减少 (decrease). As a verb, it describes the action of plowing or tilling, usually by farmers or with machinery. The noun sense is more frequent in modern writing; the verb sense appears when the focus is on farm work itself. It is neutral in tone and suitable for both spoken and written Chinese.
• Character Breakdown:
• 耕 (gēng): to plow, till, or cultivate. It is strongly associated with farming and appears in words such as 耕种 (to cultivate crops) and 耕耘 (to plow and weed; also “to work hard at something”).
• 地 (dì): land, earth, or ground. In this word it refers to a piece of land rather than “place” in a general sense.
• Together, the characters literally describe land that is plowed—hence “cultivated / arable land,” or the act of plowing that land.

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 中国非常重视保护耕地。
• Pinyin: Zhōngguó fēicháng zhòngshì bǎohù gēngdì.

• English: China attaches great importance to protecting arable land.

• Chinese: 春天一到，农民就开始耕地了。

• Pinyin: Chūntiān yí dào, nóngmín jiù kāishǐ gēngdì le.

• English: As soon as spring arrives, farmers begin plowing the fields.

• Chinese: 这块耕地适合种水稻。

• Pinyin: Zhè kuài gēngdì shìhé zhòng shuǐdào.
• English: This piece of farmland is suitable for growing rice.

Cultural Notes (if applicable)

In China, 耕地 is closely tied to food security. Because the country has a large population and limited good farmland, public discussion often stresses not letting cities, factories, or abandoned fields eat away at cultivable land. You may hear the policy phrase 耕地红线 (“arable-land red line”), which refers to a minimum amount of farmland the country aims to keep. In rural life, the verb use of 耕地 still evokes seasonal farm work—traditionally with oxen, and now often with tractors.

Conclusion

Remember 耕地 (gēngdì) as “plowed land”: the noun means arable or cultivated farmland, and the verb means to plow or till. Link 耕 with farming and 地 with land, and you will recognize it easily in news about agriculture and in descriptions of farm work.

Sources and Further Reading

• MDBG Chinese Dictionary: 耕地
• Wiktionary: 耕地
• HSK vocabulary reference dataset

Dictionary links are provided for independent reference. Example sentences and learning notes on this page are educational explanations rather than dictionary quotations.