埆 (què) - Barren, infertile land & stony or poor soil

埆Tone 4

què ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

埆 · què

Barren, infertile land;

stony or poor soil;

also refers to a type of official salary in ancient times.

Barren, infertile landstony or poor soilalso refers to a type of official salary

Usage highlights

Barren landPoor soilOfficial salary gradeStony groundInfertile fieldHard soil

Synonyms

  • 瘠— barren, lean, poor
  • 贫— poor, impoverished
  • 硗— hard, barren soil

Antonyms

  • 沃— fertile, rich soil
  • 肥— fertile, rich
  • 腴— fertile, productive

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The land was too barren for farming (贫埆的土地).
  • Ancient officials received different grades of salary (官埆).
  • They struggled to cultivate the stony ground (埆土).

Collocations

  • Barren land(埆土)
  • Poor soil(贫埆)
  • Official salary grade(官埆)
  • Stony ground(石埆)
  • Infertile field(埆田)
  • Hard soil(硬埆)

Idioms

  • Poor land and barren soil(地瘠民埆)
  • Stony and infertile(硗埆之地)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, 埆 was used to classify land quality for taxation purposes.
  • Also referred to a system of official salaries during certain dynasties.
  • Represents the challenge of agriculture in difficult terrain in traditional Chinese society.

FAQ