生 meaning and stroke order
To grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire)
How to write 生, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 生
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born
- to arise; to occur
- to light (a fire)
- to live; to be alive
- life
- raw; uncooked; unprocessed
How 生 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A shoot 屮 growing in the soil 土.
How to remember 生
Picture a young shoot pushing up out of the soil 土 (tǔ). Something growing from the ground is alive, so 生 (shēng) means to grow, to be born, and life.
生 appears in many everyday words about people and life, such as 学生 (xuéshēng) student, 医生 (yīshēng) doctor, and 生日 (shēngrì) birthday. It can also mean raw or uncooked, as in 生鱼 (shēngyú) raw fish. Example: 今天是我的生日。(Jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì.) Today is my birthday.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 生 with 牛 (niú, cow). 牛 has a stroke that pokes through the top, while 生 starts with a short slanted stroke on the left and has three horizontal lines. Also note that in 先生 (xiānsheng) the 生 is usually read in the neutral tone.
Common words with 生
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 先生 | xiānsheng | teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.) | HSK 1 |
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor; medical practitioner | HSK 1 |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness | HSK 1 |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student; schoolchild | HSK 1 |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday | HSK 1 |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | to fall ill | HSK 1 |
| 女生 | nǚshēng | schoolgirl; female student | HSK 1 |
| 男生 | nánshēng | schoolboy; male student | HSK 1 |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student | HSK 1 |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild | HSK 1 |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student | HSK 1 |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | to live; life | HSK 2 |
| 一生 | yīshēng | all one's life; throughout one's life | HSK 2 |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born | HSK 2 |
生 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 生
Learning 生 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 生
How many strokes are in 生?
生 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 生 mean?
生 (shēng) means to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire). A common word with it is 先生 (xiānsheng), meaning "teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)".
How do you pronounce 生?
生 is pronounced shēng, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 生 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 生 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Why does 生 mean both 'life' and 'raw'?
Both senses come from the idea of something in its natural, living state. Food that is still 'living' or untouched by fire is raw, so 生 describes uncooked or unprocessed things. The opposite is 熟 (shú), cooked or ripe.
What does 生气 mean, and is it only about anger?
In daily speech 生气 (shēngqì) almost always means to get angry, as in 别生气 (bié shēngqì), don't be angry. In more formal or written Chinese it can also mean vitality or liveliness.