莳 (shí) — (bound form) to plant, to transplant (literary)
Definition
莳 (shí) is a literary verb meaning 'to plant or transplant' (esp. seedlings). It is a bound/Classical form — rarely used alone; in modern Chinese 种植 is the everyday equivalent.
bound form
to plantto transplant (literary)
Examples
- 莳。Tā zài huā yuán lǐ shí huā zhòng cài.He cultivates flowers and plants vegetables in the garden.
- 莳，。Gǔ rén xǐ huan shí nòng huā cǎo, xiū shēn yǎng xìng.The ancients enjoyed cultivating flowers and plants to cultivate their character.
- 莳秧。Nóng mín men zhèng zài shuǐ tián lǐ shí yāng.The farmers are transplanting rice seedlings in the paddy fields.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 蒔; 莳 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
時
時shí蒔shì
Same sound today
The traditional form 蒔 uses 艹 for plant and 時 for sound; the simplified 莳 is a shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.