生长
shēngzhǎng · HSK 3
grow
🌱 生 = be born/grow + 长 = lengthen/grow → grow and develop
Two near-synonyms stacked: 生 (shēng) covers birth and growth, 长 (zhǎng, here read in 3rd tone) means to lengthen or mature. Together they cover the full arc of growing and developing.
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.
长 — pictograph of long-haired person with cane
Originally a pictograph showing a person with long, flowing hair leaning on a cane, representing an elder. The meaning extended from 'long hair' to 'long' in general, and also to 'elder' or 'to grow' (read zhǎng). The modern form 长 is a simplification of the traditional 長.