Meaning
生 covers three ideas at once: life, birth, and raw. On the surface they seem unrelated, but each points to something in its natural, untouched state — a living creature, a newborn, an uncooked ingredient. Japanese children learn it in first grade. On the JLPT scale, it sits at N5.
The shape tells the story. 生 is a pictograph of a seedling breaking through soil — the bottom strokes are the earth, the vertical line with a small branch is the plant pushing upward. That image maps onto all three meanings: the moment of being born, the state of being alive, and something raw or unprocessed, fresh from the source.
Five strokes, three meanings, and it turns up everywhere. 生 appears in words for teacher (先生), student (学生), daily life (生活), birthday (誕生日), and draft beer (生ビール). Few N5 kanji pack this much range into so few strokes.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi readings are セイ and ショウ, both drawn from the character's ancient Chinese pronunciation. They appear when 生 combines with other kanji in compound words (熟語, jukugo).
セイ (sei) is the dominant reading, found across a wide range of everyday vocabulary:
- 先生 (sensei) — teacher, master
- 学生 (gakusei) — student
- 人生 (jinsei) — one's life, human life
ショウ (shō) is less frequent and mostly found in words about a person's lifetime:
- 一生 (isshō) — one's whole life, lifetime
- 生涯 (shōgai) — one's lifetime, career
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi are native Japanese words matched to 生 by meaning. There are four main readings, each with its own nuance.
い.きる (ikiru) — to live, to be alive:
- 生きる (ikiru) — to live
- 生き物 (ikimono) — living creature
う.まれる (umareru) — to be born:
- 生まれる (umareru) — to be born
- 生まれつき (umaretsuki) — by nature, innate
は.える (haeru) — to grow, to sprout. This reading echoes the original pictograph — a plant pushing up from the ground:
- 生える (haeru) — to grow, to sprout
- 草が生える (kusa ga haeru) — grass grows
なま (nama) — raw, fresh, unprocessed. Used as a prefix or standalone adjective:
- 生ビール (nama bīru) — draft beer
- 生卵 (namatamago) — raw egg
Common Words & Compounds
生 appears in a large number of everyday Japanese words. Below are key compounds grouped by theme.
People & Social Roles:
- 先生 (sensei) — teacher, doctor, master
- 学生 (gakusei) — student (university level)
- 生徒 (seito) — student (elementary through high school)
- 留学生 (ryūgakusei) — international student, exchange student
Life & Existence:
- 人生 (jinsei) — human life, one's life
- 一生 (isshō) — one's whole life, lifetime
- 生活 (seikatsu) — daily life, livelihood
- 生命 (seimei) — life as a biological concept, existence
Birth & Origin:
- 誕生 (tanjō) — birth, appearance
- 誕生日 (tanjōbi) — birthday
- 出生 (shusshō) — birth (formal or official context)
Nature & Growth:
- 芝生 (shibafu) — lawn, turf
- 野生 (yasei) — wild, living in the wild
Raw & Fresh:
- 生放送 (nama hōsō) — live broadcast
- 生クリーム (nama kurīmu) — fresh cream, whipped cream
Example Sentences
先生はとても親切です。
Sensei wa totemo shinsetsu desu.
The teacher is very kind.
わたしは日本で生まれました。
Watashi wa Nihon de umaremashita.
I was born in Japan.
生活のために毎日働きます。
Seikatsu no tame ni mainichi hatarakimasu.
I work every day to make a living.
この池にはたくさんの生き物がいます。
Kono ike ni wa takusan no ikimono ga imasu.
There are many living creatures in this pond.
生卵を食べるのが好きです。
Namatamago wo taberu no ga suki desu.
I like eating raw eggs.
かれは一生音楽を続けました。
Kare wa isshō ongaku wo tsuzukemashita.
He kept making music his whole life.
今日は誕生日なので、ケーキを食べます。
Kyō wa tanjōbi nanode, kēki wo tabemasu.
Since today is my birthday, I'm going to eat cake.
春になると、草が生えてきます。
Haru ni naru to, kusa ga haete kimasu.
When spring comes, the grass starts to grow.
学生のころ、毎日図書館に行っていました。
Gakusei no koro, mainichi toshokan ni itte imashita.
When I was a student, I went to the library every day.
野生の動物を森で見ました。
Yasei no dōbutsu wo mori de mimashita.
I saw wild animals in the forest.
Related Kanji
- 目 — Eye (Kanji N5)
- 手 — Hand (Kanji N5)
- 白 — White, Blank, Pure (Kanji N5)
- 下 — Below, Down (Kanji N5)
- 気 — Spirit, Energy, Air (Kanji N5)
- 百 — Hundred (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Picture a seedling pushing up through dark soil. That's 生 — the bottom strokes are the earth, the vertical line with a small branch is the plant reaching for sunlight. Birth, life, raw: all three meanings live in that image. For なま specifically, picture the seedling freshly pulled from the ground, not yet cooked or processed.
If you know Vietnamese, you already have a shortcut. The Hán-Việt reading SINH — as in sinh ra (to be born) or học sinh (student) — maps directly onto Japanese セイ. Same character, same sound, same meaning. Every time you see 生, think: fresh life, just sprouted.