师生
shīshēng · HSK 6
teacher and student
👩🏫🧑🎓 师 = teacher + 生 = student — the teaching pair
师 (shī) means master or teacher, 生 (shēng) means student or life. Together 师生 names the fundamental classroom relationship: the one who guides and the one who learns.
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.