农业

• Pinyin: nóng yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 农 = simplified from a character showing hands working the field; 业 = originally a board with notches, meaning profession or industry

Meaning

Agriculture; farming. The practice of cultivating crops and raising livestock.

The formal term for the agricultural sector and farming as an industry. Used in news, economics, education, and policy discussions. Common collocations include 农业发展 (agricultural development), 农业技术 (farming technology), and 农业大国 (agricultural powerhouse). More formal than 种地 (to farm) which describes the physical act.

Examples

1. 中国是一个农业大国。 China is a major agricultural country.
2. 现代农业技术帮助农民提高了产量。 Modern farming technology has helped farmers increase their yields.
3. 这个地区的经济主要靠农业。 The economy of this region relies mainly on agriculture.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, education, news

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 农业是这个国家最重要的产业。(Agriculture is the most important industry in this country.)
• 他在大学学的是农业。(He studied agriculture at university.)

Don't Say

• 我周末去做农业了。(Don't use 农业 to describe casual gardening — it refers to the industry as a whole. Say 我周末去种菜了 for personal gardening.)

Origin & History

农 means agriculture (hands working the field); 业 means industry or profession (originally depicted a board with strips, representing work or enterprise).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal