女生
nǔshēng · HSK 1
female student
👧 女生 = 女 (female) + 生 (student/born) — a female student
女 means female or woman; 生 means student or born (as in 学生 xuésheng, student). Together 女生 literally reads female-student, so it covers schoolgirl, girl student, or just female in casual usage.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.
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.