菑 (zāi) - Wasteland, uncultivated land & also refers to land that has been cultivated

菑Tone 1

zāi ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

菑 · zāi

Wasteland, uncultivated land;

also refers to land that has been cultivated for one year;

in ancient texts, refers to a type of agricultural field.

Wasteland, uncultivated landalso refers to land that has been cultivatedin ancient texts, refers to a type of

Usage highlights

WastelandCultivated landTo cultivate wastelandBarren fieldAgricultural classificationUncultivated land

Synonyms

  • 荒— wasteland, uncultivated
  • 芜— overgrown with weeds

Antonyms

  • 熟— cultivated, familiar
  • 沃— fertile, rich

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The land was left fallow (菑田).
  • Ancient agricultural classification (一岁曰菑).
  • The area became wasteland (菑畲).
  • He cultivated the barren field (垦菑).

Collocations

  • Wasteland(菑田)
  • Cultivated land(菑畲)
  • To cultivate wasteland(垦菑)
  • Barren field(菑亩)
  • Agricultural classification(一岁曰菑)
  • Uncultivated land(菑地)

Idioms

  • Cultivating wasteland and weeding(菑耘)
  • From wasteland to cultivated land(菑畲)
  • The hardship of opening up land(垦菑之艰)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient Chinese agriculture, '菑' referred to land in its first year of cultivation after being cleared.
  • The character appears in classical texts like the Book of Songs and Rites of Zhou discussing land use.
  • Represents the challenging process of transforming wilderness into productive farmland in traditional society.

FAQ