佃 (diàn): to rent farmland from a landlord

Meanings

旧社会，穷苦农民向地主佃地。

Jiù shèhuì, qióng kǔ nóngmín xiàng dìzhǔ diàn dì.

In the old society poor peasants rented land from landlords.

他家世代都是佃农。

Tā jiā shìdài dōu shì diànnóng.

His family had been tenant farmers for generations.

usage

In its common reading diàn, 佃 means to rent farmland, seen in 佃农 (tenant farmer) and 佃户 (tenant household).

radical

亻 rén

person

The person radical, side form of 人, marks 佃 as a human activity: a person working rented farmland.

phonetic

田 tián

field; farmland

Both supplies the sound (clearly behind the tián reading) and contributes meaning, the farmland that is rented and worked. Seen standing alone as 田.

佃 diàn