抗生素
kàng shēng sù · HSK 7
antibiotic
💊 抗 (resist) + 生 (life/germs) + 素 (substance) = a substance that resists living germs
抗 means resist or anti-, 生 means life or living things (here, bacteria), and 素 marks a substance or element. Put together it names the drug substance that fights off living microbes: an antibiotic.
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.
素 — silk 糸 + sheng 𠂹 (hanging threads)
Originally depicted raw, undyed silk hanging to dry, with the silk radical 糸 below and strands above. From this came the meaning 'plain, unadorned, white,' then extended to 'basic element' or 'plain/simple' in general. The 'vegetarian' sense developed later from the idea of plain, unembellished food.