Definition
生 (shēng) is a versatile verb meaning 'to give birth, to produce, to arise'. It is more general than 出生 (chū shēng 'to be born'), which specifies the act of being born, and 产生 (chǎn shēng 'to produce, generate'), which emphasizes a result or outcome. 生 can also mean 'to grow' (of plants) or 'to happen' (of events), making it broader than its siblings.
to give birthto be bornto produceto generateto ariseto occur
Easily confused
- 声shēngsound-alike(noun) sound, voice, noise
- 剩shèngsound-aliketo be left; to remain
- 省shěngsound-alike(noun) province
- 省shěngsound-aliketo save, to economize
- 胜shèngsound-aliketo win; to defeat
- 升shēngsound-aliketo rise, to go up; to increase (temperature, prices, etc.)
- 升shēngsound-alike(classifier) liter (unit of volume)
Examples
- 1990。Tā shēng yú 1990 nián.He was born in 1990.
- 生。Zhè zhǒng zhíwù shēng zài rèdài dìqū.This plant grows in tropical regions.
- ，。Máodùn fāshēng le, xūyào jiějué.A conflict has arisen and needs to be resolved.
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