In spring, farmers transplant rice seedlings in the paddy fields.
Tips
usage
The pair 水田 (paddy) vs 旱田 (dry field) divides Chinese agriculture geographically: the Yangtze valley and south are 水田 country (rice), while the north is 旱田 country (wheat, millet, corn). "南稻北麦" captures this split.
memory
Literal: 水 (water) + 田 (field) - a field full of water is a rice paddy. The character 田 itself pictographically shows a plot divided into quarters - instant visual for "field."
