枝叶 (zhī yè) — branches and leaves (of a plant); nonessentials; minor details (figurative, often in 旁支细叶 or 细枝末节); children; offspring; descendants (figurative, often in 枝叶繁茂 for a large family)

Definition

Examples

• 这棵树的枝叶非常茂密，夏天能遮住阳光。
  Zhè kē shù de zhī yè fēi cháng mào mì, xià tiān néng zhē zhù yáng guāng.
  The branches and leaves of this tree are very dense and can block out the sunlight in summer.
• 写报告时，别太关注枝叶，要抓住核心论点。
  Xiě bào gào shí, bié tài guān zhù zhī yè, yào zhuā zhù hé xīn lùn diǎn.
  When writing a report, don't focus too much on minor details; grasp the core argument.
• 这个家族枝叶繁盛，子孙遍布各地。
  Zhè ge jiā zú zhī yè fán shèng, zǐ sūn biàn bù gè dì.
  This clan has many descendants, with offspring spread all over the place.

Origin