塉 (jí) - Barren land & poor, unproductive soil

塉Tone 2

jí ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

塉 · jí

Barren land;

poor, unproductive soil;

infertile ground.

Barren landpoor, unproductive soilinfertile ground.

Usage highlights

barren landinfertile fieldpoor soilsterile groundunproductive landarid and barren

Synonyms

  • 瘠— barren, poor, lean
  • 贫— poor, impoverished
  • 薄— thin, poor, infertile

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The farmer struggled to grow crops on the barren land (塉土).
  • They abandoned the infertile field (塉田).
  • This region is known for its poor soil (塉壤).

Collocations

  • barren land(塉土)
  • infertile field(塉田)
  • poor soil(塉壤)
  • sterile ground(塉地)
  • unproductive land(塉薄)
  • arid and barren(塉卤)

Idioms

  • Barren mountains and sterile streams(塉山涸流)
  • Poor soil and shallow land(塉土浅壤)
  • Barren land yielding no harvest(塉土无收)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In agricultural societies, 塉 represented land that was difficult to cultivate and yielded poor harvests.
  • The character reflects traditional Chinese concerns about soil quality and agricultural productivity.
  • Often used in contrast to fertile land characters like 沃 or 肥.

FAQ