生
shēng · HSK 2
grow
🌱 Pictograph: a sprout pushing up from the ground = to grow, be born
Oracle-bone form shows a young plant (屮) rising above a line (the soil). From 'sprouting plant' it extended to birth, life, growth, and rawness — hence 生 also means 'raw' or 'unripe'.
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.