滋 (zī) — to spurt; to burst forth (of liquid); to grow; to multiply; to increase; to give rise to; to cause
Definition
Single-character literary verb: liquid spurring out (水滋了出来) and, by extension, problems/feelings growing or arising (滋生矛盾). Almost always appears in 滋生, rarely used alone in speech.
verb
to spurtto burst forth (of liquid)to growto multiplyto increaseto give rise toto cause
Examples
- 滋。Shuǐ cóng guǎn zi lǐ zī le chū lái.Water spurted out of the pipe.
- 。Xì jūn zài cháo shī huán jìng zhōng zī shēng.Bacteria multiply in humid environments.
- 。Xiǎo mó cā kě néng zī shēng dà máo dùn.Small frictions can give rise to big conflicts.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
茲
茲zī滋zī
Same sound today
滋 pairs 水 (water) with 茲, which gives it its sound.
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