Meaning:

standing grain (esp. rice); millet

Origin:

甲骨文的字形像一株已经成熟的庄稼，沉甸甸的谷穗把上端压弯了，向下低垂着。“禾”的本义是“谷子”，后引申为其他粮食作物。

On oracle bone inscriptions, “禾” looks like crops ready for harvest, the heavy ears weighing the stalk down. The original meaning is millet, which then extended to other crops.

Words:

   禾苗 (hémiáo): seedlings of cereal crops

   禾秆 (hégǎn) : straw

   锄禾 (chú hé): to weed and plow.

Examples:

1. 天气大旱，禾苗快晒干了。

    Tiānqì dà hàn ，hémiáo kuài shài gān le

    There is a severe drought, and the seedlings are going to dry up.

2. 唐诗《锄禾》里的诗句“谁知盘中餐，粒粒皆辛苦”，告诉我们要珍惜粮食。

    Tángshī 《Chú hé 》lǐ de shījù ‘shuí zhī pán zhōng cān，lì lì jiē xīnkǔ’，gàosù wǒmen yào zhēnxī liángshí

    The Tang Dynasty poem “Chu He” reads, “Who knows when food is in our dishes / Every grain is the fruit of hard work,” telling us to treasure food.