生殖 (shēng zhí) — to reproduce (biologically) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal/scientific term for biological reproduction — used in biology, medicine, and academic writing rather than everyday speech about having babies.

verb

to reproduce (biologically)

Examples

生殖。
Hěn duō dòng wù zài chūn tiān shēng zhí.
Many animals reproduce in spring.
生殖。
Xì bāo tōng guò fēn liè shēng zhí.
Cells reproduce through division.
生殖。
Zhè ge wù zhǒng shēng zhí fēi cháng kuài.
This species reproduces very quickly.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

生shēngproduce

殖zhípropagate

生 means to produce or grow, and 殖 means to propagate, giving biological reproduction.

Characters in this word

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

屮屮chèbud
一一yīground

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

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

歹直殖

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

直

直zhí殖zhí

Same sound today

殖 is built from 歹 and 直, with 歹 giving the meaning and 直 giving the sound.

Appears in

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