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杂交 (zá jiāo) — (agriculture, biology) to hybridize, to crossbreed; (of humans) promiscuity (sensitive term)

Definition

杂交 is 'to crossbreed' living organisms (plants, animals) — a controlled biological process that produces hybrids. 混合 is broader, mixing any substances or things together, not breeding.

verb
(agriculture, biology) to hybridizeto crossbreed(of humans) promiscuity (sensitive term)

Examples

  • 杂交。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū shuǐ dào de zá jiāo jì shù.
    Scientists are researching hybridization techniques for rice.
  • 杂交。
    Zhè zhǒng zá jiāo shuǐ dào bǐ pǔ tōng shuǐ dào chǎn liàng gèng gāo.
    This hybrid rice yields more than ordinary rice.
  • 杂交。
    Nóng mín yòng zá jiāo fāng fǎ péi yù chū le kàng bìng de xīn pǐn zhǒng.
    Farmers used crossbreeding methods to develop a new disease-resistant variety.

Origin

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.

杂zámixed
交jiāocross

杂 (mixed) and 交 (to cross) describe bringing different varieties into crossing.

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 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Open 交 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Agriculture & FarmingBiology

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