种子
zhǒngzi · HSK 3
seed
🌱 种 = seed/plant + 子 = small thing/child; together: a seed
种 carries the sense of planting or sowing, and 子 is a common noun-suffix meaning a small thing or child. Combined, 种子 names the small kernel you plant — a seed, pip, or pippin.
种 — grain radical 禾 + heavy 重 (phonetic)
种 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 禾 (grain) gives the meaning, while 重 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to seeds and the act of sowing grain, then broadened to 'kind' or 'type' (a category, like a strain of seed). In simplified Chinese it also absorbed the traditional 種.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.