Meaning of 种
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- seed
- species
- kind
- type
- classifier for types, kinds, sorts
- to plant
- to grow
- to cultivate
How to use 种
As zhǒng (third tone) it means a kind or type and works as a measure word, as in 这种 (zhè zhǒng, this kind). As zhòng (fourth tone) it is a verb meaning to plant or grow. Example: 我喜欢这种茶。(Wǒ xǐhuan zhè zhǒng chá.) I like this kind of tea.
The left side 禾 (hé) is a grain plant, and the right side 中 (zhōng) gives the sound. Picture a grain stalk with a seed in the middle, ready to be planted.
Common mistake: Learners often use one tone for every meaning. 种花 (zhòng huā, to plant flowers) takes the fourth tone, but 种子 (zhǒngzi, seed) and 一种 (yì zhǒng, one kind) take the third tone. Also do not swap 禾 on the left for 木 (mù, tree).
种 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
种 zhǒng · seed · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 种.
| 各种 | gèzhǒng | every kind of; all kinds of; various |
| 种子 | zhǒngzi | seed |
| 种类 | zhǒnglèi | kind; genus |
| 种植 | zhòngzhí | to plant; to grow (a crop); to cultivate |
| 多种 | duō zhǒng | many kinds of; multiple; diverse; multi- |
| 品种 | pǐnzhǒng | breed; variety |
| 种种 | zhǒngzhǒng | all kinds of |
| 种族 | zhǒngzú | race; ethnic group |
| 这种 | zhèzhǒng | this kind of |
| 一种 | yīzhǒng | one kind of; one type of |
| 那种 | nàzhǒng | that kind of |
| 某种 | mǒuzhǒng | some kind (of) |
Questions about 种
What does 种 mean?
种 (zhǒng) means "seed; species" and is used as a measure word and verb.
How do you write 种?
种 is made of 1 character: 种 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 种 an HSK word?
Yes. 种 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 种 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 种 is written 種.
What is the difference between 种 (zhǒng) and 样 (yàng) for saying kind or type?
Both can mean kind, as in 这种 and 这样. 种 classifies things into categories, like 三种水果 (three kinds of fruit). 样 leans toward appearance or manner, like 这样做 (do it this way).
How do I know whether to read 种 as zhǒng or zhòng?
If it is a noun or measure word about seeds or types, read zhǒng. If it is an action of planting, read zhòng, as in 种树 (zhòng shù, to plant trees) or 种植 (zhòngzhí).