生活
shēnghuó · HSK 2
life
🌱 生 = be born/grow + 活 = alive; life = growing + alive
生 means to be born or grow; 活 means alive or living. Together they form the everyday word for life or daily existence. Sounds like 'shung-hwor' — the 'huó' shares its root with 火 (fire), the spark of being alive.
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.
活 — water radical 氵 + tongue 舌
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water) suggests flowing or liveliness, while 舌 (tongue) hints at the sound. Early forms depicted gushing water, conveying the idea of being lively or alive. The meaning broadened from 'flowing water' to 'living, alive, active.'