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 "raw"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "raw", including 生 (shēng), 原 (yuán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "raw" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 生 (shēng), 原 (yuán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shēng, yuán — 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
- 原 yuánformer; original; primary; raw; level; causeUseful words: 原因, 原来
Common words for these 2 "raw" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 生 (shēng) — so "raw" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 2 ways to say "raw".
原 yuán — former; original; primary; raw; level; cause
原来你也在这里！Yuán lái nǐ yě zài zhè lǐ!So you are here too!
Common words: 原因 (yuán yīn)、原来 (yuán lái)、原则 (yuán zé)
All 2 characters
Open 生、原 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.