How to Write 耥 (tāng/tǎng) — Meaning “A tool for weeding and leveling paddy fields”

Imagine a farmer holding a plow (耒) in a paddy field, saying "Still (尚) need to weed this area!" The word "still" sounds a bit like "tang" if you say it quickly, helping you remember both the shape and the sound. Alternatively, think of the tool as a 'tang' that you use to level the field while the plow is nearby.

When writing 耥, first write the left radical 耒 with six strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, right-falling. Then add the right part 尚, making sure it is slightly taller than the left side. A common mistake is to make the right part too wide or to confuse the top of 尚 (a small vertical stroke above a dot) with other components.

All three characters share the radical 耒, but their right sides differ: 耠 has 合 (hé) and means a tool for breaking soil, while 耢 has 劳 (láo) and refers to a harrow for smoothing soil. In contrast, 耥 has 尚 (shàng) and specifically means a tool for weeding and leveling paddy fields. Visually, the right parts are distinct, and each character is used for a different farming task.

耥 appears mainly in agricultural or historical texts about traditional rice farming, especially in southern China where paddy fields are common. It is not a frequent character in everyday conversation, but you might encounter it in farming manuals, rural literature, or museum descriptions of ancient tools. The word 耥地 means to weed or level the field with this tool, reflecting its practical use.

Common words containing 耥 include: 耥地 (tāng dì) — To weed or level the field with a tang; 耥耙 (tǎng bà) — A weeding rake or harrow for paddy fields; 耥稻 (tāng dào) — To weed rice fields with a tang.