一生
yīshēng · HSK 2
lifetime
⏳ 一生 = one (一) + life/birth (生): one whole life
Literally 'one life' — the single span from birth to death. 生 carries the sense of being born or living, so 一生 frames an entire lifetime as one continuous stretch.
一 — single horizontal stroke
一 is one of the simplest pictographs in Chinese, depicting a single horizontal line to represent the number one. It has retained essentially the same form since oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. By extension it also means 'first,' 'whole,' or 'same.'
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.