农作物

• Pinyin: nóng zuò wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 农 = simplified 農 (farming); 作 = 亻 (person radical) + 乍 (suddenly/just) — a person in the act of making; 物 = 牛 (cattle) + 勿 (diverse) — diverse things of substance

Meaning

Crops; agricultural produce; plants cultivated for food or industrial use.

The general term for crops grown in agriculture. Includes 粮食作物 (grain crops: rice, wheat, corn), 经济作物 (cash crops: cotton, sugarcane, tobacco), 蔬菜 (vegetables), and 油料作物 (oil crops: soybeans, rapeseed). Key in discussions of food security (粮食安全), climate change impact, and agricultural policy. 农作物病虫害 (crop pests and diseases) is a major concern in Chinese agriculture.

Examples

1. 今年夏季持续高温干旱，导致北方多省的农作物大面积减产，粮食供应形势引发了广泛关注。 This summer’s prolonged heat and drought caused major crop failures across many northern provinces, drawing widespread attention to the food supply situation.
2. 转基因农作物的安全性和商业化推广问题在中国社会引发了持续而广泛的讨论与争议。 The safety and commercial rollout of genetically modified crops have sparked ongoing and widespread debate in Chinese society.
3. 农业科学家通过培育抗旱、抗病的新品种，帮助农民在恶劣气候条件下也能保持农作物的稳定产量。 By breeding new drought- and disease-resistant varieties, agricultural scientists help farmers maintain stable crop yields even under harsh climate conditions.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, environment, food security, science

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 气候变化对中国主要农作物产区的降水格局和温度分布产生了深远影响，农业部门正在积极研究应对措施，以确保粮食生产的长期稳定。(Climate change has had a profound impact on precipitation patterns and temperature distribution in China's major crop-growing regions — agricultural authorities are actively researching countermeasures to ensure the long-term stability of food production.)
• 为减少农药残留对食品安全的威胁，越来越多的农民开始采用生物防治技术来保护农作物免受病虫害侵袭。(To reduce the threat of pesticide residues to food safety, more and more farmers are beginning to use biological control technologies to protect crops from pests and diseases.)

Don't Say

• 将'农作物'用于特指某一具体作物 — 农作物 is a collective term for crops in general; when referring to a specific crop, use its name directly (e.g. 水稻, 小麦, 玉米) or use 粮食作物, 经济作物 for categories

Origin & History

农 (farming) + 作物 (cultivated plants/crops) — 作 (to work/create) + 物 (thing) — things created through farming labour

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal