How to Write 籽 (zǐ) — Meaning “Seed”

Imagine a grain of rice (米) holding a tiny baby (子) inside — that baby is the seed. This visual of a 'rice child' can help you recall that 籽 means seed.

Write the left radical 米 first: dot, dot, horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. Then write 子: horizontal hook, vertical hook, horizontal. A common mistake is making the 子 too large or unbalanced — keep it slightly smaller than the 米 on the left.

籽 (seed) uses 子 (child) to emphasize small offspring, while 籼 (a type of rice) uses 山 (mountain) and refers to a specific rice variety. 粉 (powder) uses 分 (divide) and means flour or dust — it relates to ground rice, not whole seeds.

籽 appears in words like 瓜籽 (melon seeds) and 菜籽 (rapeseed), often referring to edible seeds or oil crops. Snacking on 瓜籽 is a common social activity during Chinese New Year or while chatting.

Common words containing 籽 include: 瓜籽 (guā zǐ) — melon seeds; 菜籽 (cài zǐ) — vegetable seed; rapeseed; 籽粒 (zǐ lì) — Grain; seed.