Hanzi Writer

How to Write 生 (shēng) — Meaning “to give birth; raw; life”

shēng HSK Level 1 5 strokes Radical: 生

生 (shēng) means "to give birth; raw; life" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical 生, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 1.8/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 11% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 生日 (shēng rì), 学生 (xué shēng), 生活 (shēng huó).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 生 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Stroke order practice for 生 - shēng

Practice Writing 生 (shēng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 生 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 生

The character 生 (shēng) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 生 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does shēng (生) Mean in Chinese?

生 means to give birth; raw; life.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 生 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character生
Pinyinshēng (sheng)
Meaningto give birth; raw; life
Strokes5
Radical生
HSK Level1
Difficulty1.8/5

Origin of 生

The character 生 originally depicted a plant sprouting from the ground, with the top part representing the seedling and the bottom stroke symbolizing the earth. This pictograph visually conveys the idea of life emerging, which evolved into meanings like 'to give birth,' 'raw,' and 'life.'

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a tiny green sprout (生) pushing up through the soil, bursting with new life and raw energy.

Common Words with 生

生日 shēng rì
birthday
学生 xué shēng
Student.
生活 shēng huó
life; to live

Example Sentences

祝你生日快乐。

zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè

Happy birthday.

我是一名学生。

wǒ shì yī míng xué shēng

I am a student.

这里的生活很方便。

zhè lǐ de shēng huó hěn fāng biàn

Life here is very convenient.

Stroke order practice for 生 - shēng

Practice Writing 生 (shēng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 生 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 生

生 is a pictograph that shows a sprout growing from the ground. The top strokes represent the sprout and leaves, while the bottom horizontal line represents the earth. This image of new growth connects directly to the character's meanings of 'to give birth' and 'life'.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 生

甤ruí甥shēng

Other 5-Stroke Characters

㐌yí㐱zhěn㢟chān且qiě丕pī世shì丘qiū丙bǐng业yè丛cóng