How to Write 犁 (lí) — Meaning “plow”

Imagine a cow (牛) using a sharp (利) tool to plow the field. This visual of a strong animal pulling a sharp blade helps connect the two parts to the meaning "plow".

Write the top 牛 first (4 strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the bottom 利 (7 strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, knife, left-falling). A common mistake is making the vertical stroke of 牛 too short or forgetting the knife radical (刂) on the right of 利.

牮 (jiàn) means "to prop up" and has 木 (wood) below instead of 利; it refers to a wooden support. 牯 (gǔ) means "male cow" or "bull" and has 古 below. In contrast, 犁 specifically means "plow" (tool or action) and uses 利 below to suggest sharpness.

犁 is used in farming contexts as both a noun (plow) and a verb (to plow), such as in 犁地 (to plow the land) and 犁田 (to plow the field). Culturally, it appears in phrases like 深耕细犁 (deep plowing and fine harrowing), which symbolizes thorough and careful work in agriculture.

Common words containing 犁 include: 犁地 (lí dì) — to plow the land; 木犁 (mù lí) — wooden plow; 犁田 (lí tián) — to plow the field.