VerbsHSK 4

Expressing "to give birth / be born" with 生

生 is a verb meaning "to give birth" (when used by the mother) or "to be born" (when used with the resulting child).

It can also mean "to produce" or "to generate" something, such as a feeling or a result.

Structure

Subject + 生 + Object

Used with the person/thing being born or produced as the object.

Subject + 生 (+ 在 + Place)

Used for "to be born," often followed by a location or time.

她生了一个男孩。
Tā shēng le yí gè nán hái.
She gave birth to a boy.
我生在北京。
Wǒ shēng zài běi jīng.
I was born in Beijing.
这种树生了很多果子。
Zhè zhòng shù shēng le hěn duō guǒ zi.
This tree produced a lot of fruit.
他的话让我生了一种奇怪的感觉。
Tā de huà ràng wǒ shēng le yì zhǒng qí guài de gǎn jué.
His words gave rise to a strange feeling in me.
妈妈生我的时候很年轻。
Mā ma shēng wǒ de shí hou hěn nián qīng.
Mom was very young when she gave birth to me.