How to Write 耘 (yún) — Meaning “To weed”

Picture a cloud (云) floating above a plow (耒) in a field — the farmer uses the plow to weed the ground while a cloud gives shade. This visual link helps you connect the shape to the meaning of weeding.

The left radical 耒 has four strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, and a sweeping downward stroke. The right part 云 starts with two horizontals, then a hook stroke and a dot. A common mistake is writing the top of 云 too wide — keep it balanced with the left side.

耘 (yún) specifically means to weed, while 耕 (gēng) means to plow the soil. 耔 (zǐ) refers to hilling soil around plant roots. Visually, 耘 has 云 on the right, 耕 has 井, and 耔 has 子 — so the right side gives a clue to the different actions.

耘 appears most often in the word 耕耘 (gēng yún), which literally means 'to plow and weed' but is used as a metaphor for hard work and effort. For example, '辛勤耕耘' means 'to work diligently.' In agricultural contexts, 耘田 refers to the actual task of weeding fields.

Common words containing 耘 include: 耕耘 (gēng yún) — To plow and weed; to work hard; 耘锄 (yún chú) — A weeding hoe; 耘田 (yún tián) — To weed the field.