In science, living things are sorted into boxes inside boxes. A genus is one of those boxes. It sits under a family and above a species: a family holds several genera, and a genus holds one or more species that are close relatives. The first word in a Latin name is the genus: in Homo sapiens, Homo is the genus and sapiens is the species.

In science在科學裡，living things生物 are sorted into被分類成 boxes inside boxes一層層的箱子。A genus屬 is是 one of those boxes那些箱子的其中一種。It它 sits under a family位於科之下、above a species種之上：a family一個科 holds several genera裡有好幾個屬，and而 a genus一個屬 holds one or more species裡有一個或多個種 that are close relatives關係相近的。The first word in a Latin name拉丁學名的第一個字 is the genus就是屬名：in Homo sapiens在Homo sapiens裡，Homo是屬 is the genus，and sapiens is the speciessapiens是種。

The tidy school line says animals in different species cannot have babies together. That is the usual rule — and it is why a species is a tighter group than a genus — though actually some close species can still mix (a lion and a tiger can). Scientists mainly put plants and animals in the same genus because they are closely related, not by a baby test alone.

The tidy school line學校教的整齊說法 says是：animals in different species不同種的動物 cannot have babies together不能一起生下後代。That那 is is the usual rule一般的規則——and而 it it is why這就是為什麼 a species種 is a tighter group than a genus比屬是更緊密的分組——though actually不過事實上，some close species有些關係相近的種 can still mix還是可以混種 (a lion and a tiger can)（獅子和老虎就可以）。Scientists科學家 mainly put plants and animals in the same genus把植物和動物放進同一個屬，主要是 because they are closely related因為牠們親緣關係相近，not by a baby test alone不只是靠能不能生下後代這個測試。

You meet this word in biology class and in nature films, not in everyday chat.

You你 meet this word會遇到這個字 in biology class and in nature films在生物課和自然紀錄片裡，not in everyday chat日常聊天不會用到。