滋生

zīshēng

verb #23,596

Meanings

1 to breed
2 to spawn
3 to give rise to
4 to cause to multiply

Characters

to grow / to multiply / to nourish

to produce / to give birth

Examples

污水容易滋生细菌。

Wūshuǐ róngyì zīshēng xìjūn.

Sewage easily breeds bacteria.

这种环境滋生了腐败。

Zhè zhǒng huánjìng zīshēng le fǔbài.

This environment gave rise to corruption.

积水会滋生蚊虫。

Jīshuǐ huì zīshēng wénchóng.

Standing water will breed mosquitoes.

Tips

usage

滋生 often carries a negative connotation — it implies something undesirable (bacteria, corruption, problems) multiplying or spreading. Compare with 繁殖 (fánzhí), which is neutral and used for normal reproduction.

Stroke Order

滋 zī

生 shēng