栽 zāi to cultivate
to cultivate; to plant; to tend
How to remember 栽: 𢦏 wound + 木 tree = to cultivate. Grandpa cleans the wound in the bark of the young tree and shows his granddaughter how to cultivate it with care.
Component breakdown
栽 = 𢦏 wound + 木 tree
- 𢦏 wound
- 木 tree
Grandpa cleans the wound in the bark of the young tree and shows his granddaughter how to cultivate it with care.
How it is used
- To plant/cultivate - 栽树 (zāi shù) to plant a tree, 栽培 (zāipéi) to cultivate (also figurative: to nurture/mentor someone).
- Two idiomatic senses: 栽跟头 (zāi gēntou) to take a tumble / suffer a setback, and 栽赃 (zāizāng) to frame someone by planting evidence.