生 shēng — to be born; life; raw; student
春天来了，草地上生出新的绿芽。Chūn tiān lái le, cǎo dì shàng shēng chū xīn de lǜ yá.Spring has come, and new green shoots grow from the grass.
Common words: 先生 (xiān sheng)、学生 (xué sheng)、医生 (yī shēng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "life"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "life", including 生 (shēng), 身 (shēn), 世 (shì), 命 (mìng), 寿 (shòu). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "life" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 生 (shēng), 身 (shēn), 世 (shì), 命 (mìng), 寿 (shòu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shēng, shēn, shì, mìng, shòu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 生 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 生 shēngto be born; life; raw; studentUseful words: 先生, 学生
- 身 shēnbody; torso; person; life; status; pregnancyUseful words: 身上, 身体
- 世 shìlife; age; generation; era; world; lifetimeUseful words: 世界, 世纪
- 命 mìnglife; fateUseful words: 生命, 命运
- 寿 shòu(long) lifeUseful words: 寿命, 寿司
Common words for these 5 "life" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 生 (shēng) — so "life" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
先生xiān shengteacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)学生xué shengstudent; schoolchild医生yī shēngdoctor; medical practitioner身上shēn shangon the body; at hand; among身体shēn tǐthe body; one's health身边shēn biānat one's side; on hand世界shì jièworld世纪shì jìcentury去世qù shìto pass away; to die生命shēng mìnglife (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 5 ways to say "life".
身 shēn — body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy
运动让我的身体更健康。Yùn dòng ràng wǒ de shēn tǐ gèng jiàn kāng.Exercise makes my body healthier.
Common words: 身上 (shēn shang)、身体 (shēn tǐ)、身边 (shēn biān)
世 shì — life; age; generation; era; world; lifetime
这是世界上最高的山。Zhè shì shì jiè shàng zuì gāo de shān.This is the tallest mountain in the world.
Common words: 世界 (shì jiè)、世纪 (shì jì)、去世 (qù shì)
命 mìng — life; fate
医生救了他的命。Yī shēng jiù le tā de mìng.The doctor saved his life.
Common words: 生命 (shēng mìng)、命运 (mìng yùn)、命令 (mìng lìng)
寿 shòu — (long) life
我们祝爷爷健康长寿。Wǒ men zhù yé ye jiàn kāng cháng shòu.We wish Grandpa health and long life.
Common words: 寿命 (shòu mìng)、寿司 (shòu sī)、长寿 (cháng shòu)
All 5 characters
Open 生、身、世 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.