丛生 (cóng shēng) — (of plants) to grow thickly, to cluster; (of pr…

Definition

A verb for things that 'spring up in clusters' — used both for plants growing densely and for problems, diseases, or flaws appearing all at once.

verb

(of plants) to grow thicklyto cluster(of problems, diseases, shortcomings) to break out in large numbersto be rife

丛生。
Zhè piàn yě huā cóng shēng zài hé àn biān.
This patch of wildflowers grows thickly along the riverbank.
，丛生，。
Zhàn hòu, gè zhǒng jí bìng cóng shēng, yī liáo zī yuán yán zhòng bù zú.
After the war, various diseases broke out in large numbers, and medical resources were severely insufficient.
丛生。
Guǎn lǐ bú shàn dǎo zhì qǐ yè nèi bù wèn tí cóng shēng.
Poor management led to problems cropping up everywhere within the company.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

丛 “cluster” with 生 “grow” gives the sense of growing thickly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 叢; 丛 is its simplified writing.

丵取叢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

丵丵zhuó

Sound part声符shēngfú

取

取qǔ叢cóng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 叢 for 丛 combines 丵 with 取, where 取 gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Appears in