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Kotomora

生

life, genuine, birth

JLPTN5StatusJōyō · grade 1FrequencyTop 100Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • セイ
  • ショウ

Kun'yomi

  • い.きる
  • い.かす
  • い.ける
  • う.まれる
  • うま.れる
  • う.まれ
  • うまれ
  • う.む
  • お.う
  • は.える
  • は.やす
  • き
  • なま
  • なま-
  • な.る
  • な.す
  • む.す
  • -う

Nanori

  • あさ
  • いき
  • いく
  • いけ

Meaning

生 centers on the idea of something coming into existence or being in its natural, unprocessed state: life, birth, and genuine quality. The meanings flow from the core concept of raw vitality and authenticity.

Most common words using 生

24 of 1,915
  • 生なま
    N3

    raw; uncooked; fresh

  • 先生せんせい
    N5

    teacher; instructor; master

  • 生きるいきる
    N4

    to live; to exist

  • 生活せいかつ
    N5

    life; living

  • 人生じんせい
    N3

    (one's) life

  • 生まれうまれ
    N3

    birth; birthplace

  • 発生はっせい
    N2

    occurrence; incidence; outbreak; birth (e.g. of civilization)

  • 誕生たんじょう
    N3

    birth (of a person); nativity

  • 学生がくせい
    N5

    student (esp. a university student)

  • 生産せいさん
    N4

    production; manufacture

  • 生徒せいと
    N4

    pupil; student; schoolchild

  • 再生さいせい
    N2

    restoration to life; coming to life again; resuscitation; regeneration

  • 生命せいめい
    N3

    life; existence

  • 小学生しょうがくせい
    N2

    elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student

  • 生物せいぶつ
    N3

    living thing; organism; creature; life

  • 一生いっしょう
    N3

    whole life; a lifetime; all through life

  • 高校生こうこうせい
    N4

    senior high school student

  • 中学生ちゅうがくせい
    N1

    junior high school student; middle school pupil

  • 生えるはえる
    N3

    to grow; to spring up; to sprout

  • 生まれるうまれる
    N4

    to be born

  • 生ずるしょうずる
    N2

    to produce; to yield; to cause

  • 大学生だいがくせい
    N4

    university student; college student

  • 生かすいかす
    N2

    to make (the best) use of; to put to good use; to leverage (skills, attributes, experience, etc.); to capitalise on (experience, etc.)

  • 生姜しょうが

    ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Explore all words using 生 →

Study

Etymology

生 is a pictograph of a plant sprouting from the ground, symbolizing life, growth, and birth. The modern form retains the basic shape of a shoot emerging from the earth.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a young green sprout pushing up through the soil: 生 is that fresh, genuine life being born.

Reading mnemonic

For セイ, imagine a sprout saying 'say' hello to the world as it is born: 'say' -> セイ, and the new life speaks its first word.