耕地
こうち · kouchi · JLPT N2 · noun
land
🌾🚜 耕 = plough + 地 = land: land you plough and plant, so arable land
耕 (こう, kou) means to plough or till the soil, and 地 (ち, chi) means ground. Together they name ground that can be ploughed for crops.
耕 — plow 耒 + well 井
耕 is a semantic compound. The left side 耒 depicts an ancient wooden plow, and the right side 井 (a well, also suggesting the grid of a 'well-field' land system) hints at cultivated fields. Together they mean to plow or till the land for farming.
地 — earth 土 + 也 (phonetic)
地 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 土 means 'earth' or 'soil' and gives the meaning, while 也 on the right hints at the pronunciation. Originally referring to the ground or land, it broadened to mean 'place,' 'region,' and 'territory.'