滋生 zīshēng to breed
to breed; to flourish; to cause; to provoke; to create
How to remember 滋生: 滋 to grow + 生 life = to breed.
Characters
How it is used
- Means to breed/multiply/give rise to - 蚊子滋生 (wénzi zīshēng) mosquitoes breeding; 滋生腐败 (breed corruption).
- Usually negative: unwanted things proliferating from bad conditions.
- Contrast 产生 (chǎnshēng, to produce, neutral); 滋生 implies unchecked, undesirable growth.