Meaning of 生意
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- business
Measure word: 筆|笔
- life force
- vitality
How to use 生意
In the sense of business, 生意 is read shēngyi with a neutral tone on the second syllable, and it pairs with verbs like 做 (zuò) and 谈 (tán). 他在上海做生意。(Tā zài Shànghǎi zuò shēngyi.) He does business in Shanghai. The reading shēngyì, meaning vitality, is more literary and appears in phrases like 生意盎然 (shēngyì àngrán), full of life.
生 (shēng) means to give birth or grow, and 意 (yì) means idea or intention. Think of business as growing an idea into something that makes money.
Common mistake: Learners often say 做商业 to mean doing business, but the natural everyday phrase is 做生意 (zuò shēngyi). Also, do not mix up 生意 with 生气 (shēngqì, to get angry), since the two sound similar when spoken quickly.
生意 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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意 yì · thought · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 生意.
| 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 |
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion |
Questions about 生意
What does 生意 mean?
生意 (shēngyi) means "business" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 生意?
生意 is made of 2 characters: 生 (5 strokes), 意 (13 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 生意 an HSK word?
Yes. 生意 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say business is good or bad in Chinese?
Say 生意很好 (shēngyi hěn hǎo) for business is good and 生意不好 (shēngyi bù hǎo) for business is bad. Shop owners often use these phrases in casual conversation.
What is the difference between 生意 and 公司?
生意 refers to the activity of doing business or trade. 公司 (gōngsī) means a company as an organization. You 做生意 (do business), but you 开公司 (open a company).