春种秋收
chūn zhòng qiū shōu
to sow in spring and reap in autumn; the rhythm of the farming year
Character by character
春chūn
spring
spring
种zhòng
sow
sow
秋qiū
autumn
autumn
收shōu
reap
reap
Example
爷爷种了一辈子地，春种秋收，很少离开过村子。
Grandad farmed all his life, sowing in spring and reaping in autumn, and seldom left the village.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Describes the old farming year, above all in the north, where little grew in winter and work in the fields stopped. Also used figuratively for effort now and results later; compare 春种一粒粟，秋收万颗子 (lesson 5-26). 种 is zhòng, “to plant”.
Learn this in Lesson 173 · HSK 7–9: 寿光的大棚 (The greenhouses of Shouguang)
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