TongTong
Sign in

种子 (zhǒng zi) — seed

Definition

种子 (zhǒngzi) means 'seed' — a literal seed for planting, or figuratively the beginning of something. Don't confuse with 籽 (zǐ), which refers only to small plant seeds like melon or sesame.

noun
seed
Measure word · 颗, 粒

Examples

  • 种子。
    Chūn tiān shì bō zhòng zhǒng zi de hǎo jì jié.
    Spring is a good season for sowing seeds.
  • 种子，。
    Tā mǎi le jǐ lì huā zhǒng zi, zhǔn bèi zhǒng zài yuàn zi lǐ.
    He bought a few flower seeds and plans to plant them in the yard.
  • 种子，。
    Yì kē xiǎo xiǎo de zhǒng zi, jìng rán néng zhǎng chéng cān tiān dà shù.
    A tiny seed can actually grow into a towering tree.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

种zhǒngseed
子zǐ

种 names what is sown, and 子 completes the word for a seed.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
中
中zhōng种zhǒng
Same sound today

种 pairs 禾, which shows rice or grain and fits meanings like plant and seed, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 种 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 6Agriculture & FarmingPlants & Flowers

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.