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种类 (zhǒng lèi) — kind, type, category, variety

Definition

A general noun for 'kind, type, category' — broader than 类型 (more technical/abstract) and 品种 (for breeds and cultivars). Use it for everyday groupings like fruits or music, not for biological species.

noun
kindtypecategoryvariety

Examples

  • 种类。
    Zhè jiā shāng diàn yǒu gè zhǒng zhǒng lèi de shuǐ guǒ.
    This store has all kinds of fruit.
  • 种类？
    Nǐ xǐ huan shén me zhǒng lèi de yīn yuè?
    What kind of music do you like?
  • 种类。
    Zhè zhǒng huā yǒu hěn duō bù tóng de zhǒng lèi.
    This flower has many different varieties.

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zhǒngkind
类lèicategory

种 and 类 both name kinds or categories, so together they mean a type or sort.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 類; 类 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
頪
頪lèi類lèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 類 pairs 犬, which relates to the meaning, with 頪, which gives the sound. The simplified 类 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 类 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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