生
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
life, birth |
| Strokes |
5 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
セイ、ショウ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
いき-る、うま-れる、なま |
| Radical |
生 (u0751f) |
Stroke Order
The kanji 生 is written in 5 strokes following the standard top-to-bottom, left-to-right rule:
- Stroke 1: A short horizontal line at the top.
- Stroke 2: A long horizontal line in the middle.
- Stroke 3: A short vertical line starting from the top horizontal line, moving down to the middle horizontal line.
- Stroke 4: A third horizontal line at the base.
- Stroke 5: A long vertical line that starts from the top, passes through the middle and bottom horizontal lines, ending with a slight flick.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 生 is its own radical (部首). It depicts a sprout growing out of the ground. The bottom horizontal line represents the earth, and the vertical line with the sprout represents a plant pushing upward, symbolizing the concept of "life" or "birth."
Mnemonic
Imagine a small plant sprout pushing its way through the soil. The bottom line is the ground, and the vertical line is the stem growing upward toward the sun. Because it is growing, it represents life and birth.
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
セイ (Sei)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 学生 |
がくせい |
gakusei |
student |
| 先生 |
せんせい |
sensei |
teacher |
| 生活 |
せいかつ |
seikatsu |
daily life |
| 生徒 |
せいと |
seito |
pupil/student |
ショウ (Shō)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 一生 |
いっしょう |
isshō |
whole life |
| 生涯 |
しょうがい |
shōgai |
lifetime |
| 誕生 |
たんじょう |
tanjō |
birth |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
いき-る (Iki-ru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 生きる |
いきる |
ikiru |
to live |
| 生き物 |
いきもの |
ikimono |
living thing |
うま-れる (Uma-reru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 生まれる |
うまれる |
umareru |
to be born |
| 生む |
うむ |
umu |
to give birth |
なま (Nama)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 生ビール |
なまビール |
nama-bīru |
draft beer |
| 生魚 |
なまざかな |
namazakana |
raw fish |
JLPT N5 Words Using 生
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 学生 |
がくせい |
gakusei |
student |
N5 |
| 先生 |
せんせい |
sensei |
teacher |
N5 |
| 生まれる |
うまれる |
umareru |
to be born |
N5 |
| 生きる |
いきる |
ikiru |
to live |
N4 |
| 生活 |
せいかつ |
seikatsu |
daily life |
N4 |
| 誕生 |
たんじょう |
tanjō |
birth |
N3 |
| 生徒 |
せいと |
seito |
pupil |
N4 |
| 一生 |
いっしょう |
isshō |
whole life |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 私は学生です。 |
わたしはがくせいです。 |
Watashi wa gakusei desu. |
I am a student. |
| 彼は日本で生まれました。 |
かれはにほんでうまれました。 |
Kare wa Nihon de umaremashita. |
He was born in Japan. |
| 先生はとても親切です。 |
せんせいはとてもしんせつです。 |
Sensei wa totemo shinsetsu desu. |
The teacher is very kind. |
| 生ビールをください。 |
なまびーるをください。 |
Nama-bīru o kudasai. |
Please give me a draft beer. |
| 毎日、健康的な生活を送る。 |
まいにち、けんこうてきなせいかつをおくる。 |
Mainichi, kenkōteki na seikatsu o okuru. |
I live a healthy life every day. |
| 彼は一生懸命勉強した。 |
かれはいっしょうけんめいべんきょうした。 |
Kare wa isshōkenmei benkyō shita. |
He studied with all his might. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 生 |
セイ / いき |
Life / Birth |
Has a vertical line crossing through the middle. |
| 牛 |
ギュウ / うし |
Cow |
The top line is shorter, and the vertical line does not cross the top horizontal line. |
Usage Frequency Note
生 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every aspect of daily life, from school (学生) and work (生活) to food (生ビール). It is essential for beginners to master early, as it is a foundational character for many compound words.