生命 meaning in English
life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2])
Meaning of 生命
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- life (as the characteristic of living beings)
- living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2])
How to use 生命
生命 is a fairly formal noun for life as a biological or precious thing, often used in talk about health, safety, and nature. It is counted with 条 (tiáo) when referring to individual lives. Example: 每一条生命都很宝贵。(Měi yì tiáo shēngmìng dōu hěn bǎoguì.) Every life is precious.
生 (shēng) means to be born or to live, and 命 (mìng) means fate or one's allotted life. Put them together and you get the life a living thing is born with: 生命, life itself.
Common mistake: Learners often use 生命 for everyday life or lifestyle, but that meaning is 生活 (shēnghuó). Say 我的生活很忙 (My life is busy), not 我的生命很忙.
生命 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
生 shēng · to grow · 5 strokes
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- 2
- 3
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- 5
命 mìng · life · 8 strokes
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- 2
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 生命.
| 先生 | xiānsheng | teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.) |
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor; medical practitioner |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student; schoolchild |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | to fall ill |
| 女生 | nǚshēng | schoolgirl; female student |
| 男生 | nánshēng | schoolboy; male student |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | to live; life |
Questions about 生命
What does 生命 mean?
生命 (shēngmìng) means "life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2])" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 生命?
生命 is made of 2 characters: 生 (5 strokes), 命 (8 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 生命 an HSK word?
Yes. 生命 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 生命 and 生活?
生命 is life in the sense of being alive, the opposite of death. 生活 is daily life, how you live and spend your days. For example, 救了他的生命 means saved his life, while 大学生活 means university life.
Is the 命 in 生命 pronounced with a neutral tone?
No, 命 keeps its full fourth tone: shēngmìng. Both syllables are stressed clearly, unlike words such as 先生 (xiānsheng), where the second syllable is often light.