[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Plants # 禾 hé grain seeding ## Components [[丿 (piě)]] [[木 mù]] ## Meaning Today, the character "禾" (hé) primarily signifies cereal crops or grains in modern usage. It refers to various types of grain-bearing plants cultivated for food, such as rice, wheat, barley, and oats. Additionally, it serves as a radical component in characters related to agriculture or plants. While its original meaning of representing mature crops is still retained, "禾" also carries connotations of agricultural abundance, sustenance, and the importance of grain cultivation in Chinese culture. ## History The character "禾" (hé) has a pictographic origin. It resembles a mature crop plant with drooping ears of grain at the top, stalks and leaves in the middle, and roots at the bottom. Its original meaning encompasses various cereal crops. "禾" is a radical character, and many characters derived from it are related to agriculture. In oracle bone script, "禾" depicts a mature crop plant with drooping ears of grain. In bronze script, the depiction of the drooping ears of grain bending towards the left becomes more vivid. Historical records often mention the term "禾更," which refers to a type of tax in ancient times where rice was used as a form of labor duty. "禾苗" later extended to refer to cereal crops in general. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[禾 hé - ora 1.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[禾 hé - bronce 1.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[禾 hé - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[禾 hé - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[禾 hé - reg.svg]]