How to Write 耠 (huō) — Meaning “To plow shallowly; to make a furrow”

Imagine a small plow (耒) that fits perfectly inside a "box" — the right side 合 looks like a box opening. Think of the phrase "plow the ground to make a furrow" and picture the plow moving along a shallow ditch.

Pay close attention to the radical 耒: the first stroke is a horizontal, followed by a short left-falling stroke, then a dot, and two horizontal lines. The right side 合 must be written narrower than the radical, and the top "person" part (人) should not be too wide.

耕 (gēng) means general plowing or tilling, while 耠 specifically refers to shallow plowing or making a furrow. 耖 (chào) means to harrow or level soil after plowing. Visually, 耠 has 合 on the right, 耕 has 井, and 耖 has 少.

耠 is used mainly in agricultural contexts, especially in northern Chinese dialects, to describe shallow plowing or making a furrow for planting seeds. You might see it in phrases like 耠地 "plow shallowly" or 耠子 "small plow," but it is rare in everyday conversation and not part of standard HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 耠 include: 耠地 (huō dì) — To plow the ground shallowly; 耠子 (huō zi) — A small plow; 耠沟 (huō gōu) — To plow a furrow.