良种 (liáng zhǒng) — improved variety (of seeds or livestock); fine… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

improved variety (of seeds or livestock)fine breed

Examples

良种。
Nóng mín men xuǎn zé liáng zhǒng lái tí gāo chǎn liàng.
Farmers choose improved varieties to increase yields.
良种。
Zhè jiā nóng chǎng yǐn jìn le xīn de liáng zhǒng niú.
This farm introduced new fine-breed cattle.
良种。
liáng zhǒng De péi yù xū yào hěn cháng shí jiān.
The cultivation of improved varieties takes a long time.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The 良 sense of good specifies the 种 as an improved seed or fine breed.

Characters in this word

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

良 possibly depicts corridors and a room.

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.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.