壤 rǎng soil
soil; loam; earth
How to remember 壤: 土 earth + 襄 robe thrown off = soil. The gardener kneels on the earth, her robe thrown off onto the fence, and pushes both hands into the dark, rich soil.
Component breakdown
壤 = 土 earth + 襄 robe thrown off
- 土 earth
- 襄 robe thrown off
The gardener kneels on the earth, her robe thrown off onto the fence, and pushes both hands into the dark, rich soil.
How it is used
- Bound morpheme for soil - almost exclusively 土壤 (tǔrǎng) soil (as a substance/medium): 肥沃的土壤 (féiwò de tǔrǎng) fertile soil.
- 土壤 is the technical/agricultural word for soil, vs everyday 土 (tǔ) dirt. 天壤之别 (tiānrǎng-zhībié) = a world of difference.