[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Life # 生 shēng life; living ## Components [[一 (yī)]] [[一 yī]] [[土 (tǔ)]] [[土 tǔ]] ## Meaning Today, the character "生" primarily signifies life, growth, and existence. It encompasses various concepts related to vitality, such as birth, reproduction, development, and survival. Additionally, it can refer to living beings collectively or denote the state of being alive. The term is also widely used in contexts related to livelihoods, such as "生活" (life, livelihood) and "生命" (life). ## History The character "生" depicts the growth of vegetation from the soil, symbolizing the beginning of a new life cycle. Originally a compound ideogram, "生" represents the emergence of plants from the earth. In ancient scripts like oracle bone script, the character portrays a sprouting plant, with a horizontal stroke below symbolizing the ground and a bifurcation above representing the plant's branches and leaves. This imagery illustrates the concept of sprouting from the earth. The character "生" also extends to meanings such as giving birth, nurturing, and rearing, as seen in phrases like "父母生我" (my parents gave birth to me). As a noun, "生" broadly refers to living things, such as "众生" (all living beings), and it can also signify the state of existence, as in "生活" (life). Over time, "生" has evolved to represent not just literal growth but also the broader concepts of birth, development, and existence. It encompasses the idea of life and survival, as seen in expressions like "无事生非" (to fabricate trouble out of nothing) and "毕生" (one's entire life). ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[生 shēng - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[生 shēng - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[生 shēng - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ? ### Regular Script ![[生 shēng - reg.svg]]