農夫 / 农夫
nóngfū
In Chinese, the English word "peasant" can be translated as 農夫 / 农夫 (nóngfū) or 農民 / 农民.
Meaning: member of the agriculture low class (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 農夫 / 农夫 | nóngfū |
| 農民 / 农民 | nóngmín |
Both terms relate to people involved in agriculture, but they are used in different contexts depending on whether you are describing an individual's job or a social class.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 農夫 / 农夫 is composed of 農 (agriculture) and 夫 (man/husband), literally meaning "agricultural man". The term 農民 / 农民 is composed of 農 (agriculture) and 民 (people/citizens), literally meaning "agricultural people".
Which one should you use?
農夫 / 农夫 is a neutral, occupational term that refers more specifically to the individual occupation of a farmer or a male farmer. In contrast, 農民 / 农民 is the term used for "peasant" when referring to the peasantry as a social class.
How do you pronounce it?
nóngfū
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese thought, the 農 / 农 (farmer) was ranked second highest among the four social classes, placed above artisans and merchants.
- In some contexts, the term 農民 / 农民 can be used as a mild insult to imply that someone is uneducated or 'country', similar to the English word 'redneck'.
- The word 農 / 农 (agriculture) is the root for many other concepts in Chinese, including the phrase 農曆 / 农历, which refers to the lunar-solar calendar used for traditional farming cycles.
Examples in context
- 我认识一些农民，他们种植水稻和玉米。I know some peasants who cultivate rice and corn.
- 他家族里都是乡下人，但他是个大城市人。Everyone in his family is a peasant, but he's a city person.
- 别太看不起农夫，农民是这个国家的根基。Don't look down on peasants too much, they are the foundation of this country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peasant” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
