How to Write 耢 (lào) — Meaning “A drag (to level soil); to level land with a drag”

Picture a farmer using a plow (耒) and working hard (劳) to drag a heavy tool across the field to level the soil. The right side 劳 contains the grass radical 艹 on top, which can remind you of the soil surface being smoothed like grass.

First write the left radical 耒: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then write the right part 劳: grass radical 艹 (horizontal, vertical, vertical), then 冖 (dot, horizontal hook?), and finally 力 (hook and left-falling stroke). A common mistake is making the right side too tall or forgetting the dot under the grass; keep both sides balanced.

耢 (lào) means a drag to level soil and has the right side 劳 (labor). 耜 (sì) means an ancient plow and has the right side 以 (like a person). 耠 (huō) means to hoe or turn soil and has the right side 合 (join). Visually, 耢 has the grass top, 耜 has a person-like shape, and 耠 has a mouth-like component.

Today, 耢 is mostly used when talking about traditional farming, especially in northern China. You might see it in words like 耢地 (to level the ground) or 铁耢 (iron drag) in agricultural texts, history books, or rural contexts. It is not common in everyday conversation but is important for understanding older farming methods.

Common words containing 耢 include: 耢地 (lào dì) — To level the ground with a drag; 耢平 (lào píng) — To level the soil using a drag; 铁耢 (tiě lào) — iron drag (farming tool).