卫生
wèishēng · HSK 3
hygiene
🧼 卫 = guard + 生 = life; guarding life = hygiene
卫 means to guard or defend; 生 means life or living. Together, 卫生 literally means guarding life — the practices that protect living beings from disease, i.e. hygiene and sanitation.
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.