How to Write 耨 (nòu) — Meaning “To weed; a weeding hoe”

Imagine a farmer using a hoe (耒) to remove weeds, and the weeds are so stubborn they bring "disgrace" (辱) to the field. Visualize the left side as the tool and the right side as the shameful weeds being cleared away. This links the farming radical to the idea of cleaning up disgraceful growth.

Write the left radical 耒 first with five strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. Then add the right part 辱, making sure the top of 辱 (辰) is not too wide, and the bottom 寸 is balanced under it. A common mistake is making the 耒 side too large — keep it slim so the whole character stays proportional.

耤 (jí) has 昔 on the right and often means "to plow" or refers to ancient farmland, while 耥 (tāng) has 尚 on the right and describes a different farming tool. 耨 specifically means "weeding" or "a weeding hoe" and is the most common among the three for that action. Their right-side components visually and phonetically distinguish them.

耨 is not in the HSK vocabulary and is rarely used in everyday speech, but it appears in agricultural texts and classical literature. You might see it in phrases like 耘耨 (yún nòu, "to weed") or 耨草 (nòu cǎo, "to weed"). It carries a formal or historical flavor, reminding readers of traditional farming methods.

Common words containing 耨 include: 耘耨 (yún nòu) — To weed; weeding; 耨草 (nòu cǎo) — to weed; weeding; 锄耨 (chú nòu) — To hoe and weed.