How to Write 孳 (zī) — Meaning “breed / multiply”

Imagine a mother saying 'This (兹) child (子) is growing so fast!' to remember that 孳 means multiply or breed. The top part 兹 looks like two strands of silk, symbolizing continuous growth, and the bottom 子 reinforces the idea of offspring.

Write the top part 兹 first, with the left side (䒑) then 幺 and again 幺, but note it is not 丝 — the bottom of 兹 is two 幺 components stacked, not the radical for silk. Then add the bottom 子; ensure the top is balanced and not too wide, as the 子 below needs room. A common mistake is confusing the top with 兹 (zī) which has a different bottom, but here it's correct.

孳 (zī) means breed/multiply and has 兹 on top and 子 below. 孬 (nāo) means bad or cowardly and is composed of 不 (not) on top and 好 (good) below — a visual pun. 孰 (shú) means 'who' or 'which' and has 孰 on the left with 丸 on the right; it is used in classical Chinese. Focus on the top parts: 兹 vs 不 vs 孰 to tell them apart.

孳 is most often used in formal or scientific contexts, such as 孳生 (breed/proliferate) for bacteria or insects, and 孳息 (accrue interest) in finance. It appears in academic writing but is rare in daily speech. Culturally, the concept of multiplication connects to family growth in traditional Chinese values, but the character itself is not commonly seen outside specialized texts.

Common words containing 孳 include: 孳生 (zī shēng) — breed / proliferate; 孳息 (zī xī) — accrue interest / multiply; 孳乳 (zī rǔ) — breed / multiply.