终生
zhōngshēng · HSK 7
all one's life
🌳 终生 = 终 end + 生 life: from birth to the very end, all one's life
终 means end or finish (as in 终点, finish line); 生 means life or birth. Together they span life from start to finish. Sounds like zhōng-shēng, with 终 sharing its sound with 钟 (clock) ticking down a whole lifetime.
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.