医生
yīshēng · HSK 1
doctor
🩺 医 = heal + 生 = person; literally a healing person
医 carries the sense of medicine or healing, and 生 means person or student. Put together, 医生 names the healing person — the physician or doctor.
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.
yī shēng · HSK 1
doctor
👨⚕️ 医 = heal/medicine + 生 = person/student → healing person
医 carries the sense of medicine or healing (originally a quiver of arrows, then medical practice), and 生 means life, birth, or a person/student. Together: a person who heals — doctor.
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.