植 zhí tree
tree; plant; to grow
How to remember 植: 木 tree + 直 straight = tree. Dad ties the young tree to a stick so it grows straight, and ten years later it is the tallest tree on the street.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
植 = 木 tree + 直 straight
- 木 tree meaning
- 直 straight sound
- 十 ten
- 目 eye
Dad ties the young tree to a stick so it grows straight, and ten years later it is the tallest tree on the street.
How it came to be
The tree gives the meaning and straight the sound: at first, the upright post that bars a door.
How it is used
- Means 'to plant' and 'plant (vegetation)'. Bound: 植物 (zhíwù) plant(s), 种植 (zhòngzhí) to cultivate/grow crops.
- 种植 stresses the act of planting and tending; 植物 is the living thing itself.
- Also 移植 (yízhí) transplant: literal (a tree) or medical (an organ).
Words with 植
Example sentences
- 玫瑰属于蔷薇科植物。 Méigui shǔyú qiángwēikē zhíwù.Roses belong to the Rosaceae family.