How to Write 畬 (shē) — Meaning “Reclaimed land”

Imagine you have a field (田) that already produces enough grain, but you clear more land to have a surplus (余). This extra reclaimed field is 畬, so think of it as a "surplus field."

Write the top part 余 first (stroke order: 撇, 捺, 横, 横, 竖钩, 撇, 点) then add 田 below in its normal order. A common mistake is making the top too narrow; the 田 should be slightly wider than the 余 above it.

Unlike 畬 which has 余 above 田, 畔 has 田 on the left and 半 (half) on the right, meaning field boundary. 留 has 卯 on top and 田 below, meaning to stay or remain. Their shapes and meanings are distinct: 畬 focuses on reclaimed land, 畔 on edges, and 留 on staying.

畬 is not common in everyday modern Chinese and is not part of the HSK vocabulary. It appears mainly in historical or regional contexts, especially referring to the She ethnic minority (畬民) or in classical terms like 畬田 for reclaimed fields. You may encounter it in place names or old texts about agriculture.

Common words containing 畬 include: 畬田 (shē tián) — Reclaimed field; 畬民 (shē mín) — She people (cultivators of reclaimed land); 耕畬 (gēng shē) — To plow and clear land.