种植 (zhòng zhí) — to plant; to grow (a crop); to cultivate | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

种植 (zhòngzhí) is the general, written/formal word for 'to plant / grow crops.' It is broader than the colloquial 种, and unlike 栽培 it focuses on growing plants, not training people.

verb

to plantto grow (a crop)to cultivate

Examples

种植。
Nóng mín zài chūn tiān zhòng zhí shuǐ dào.
Farmers plant rice in spring.
种植。
Zhè piàn tǔ dì shì hé zhòng zhí guǒ shù.
This land is suitable for growing fruit trees.
种植。
Tā men zhòng zhí le hěn duō huā zài huā yuán lǐ.
They planted many flowers in the garden.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

种 and 植 both name planting or cultivating, so together they mean to plant crops.

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.

禾中种

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.

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

木直植

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

直

直zhí植zhí

Same sound today

植 is made from 木, a tree, and 直, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Agriculture & Farming Plants & Flowers

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