诞生
dànshēng · HSK 6
to be born
👶 诞 (birth/utter) + 生 (life/born) = birth + life → come into being
诞 originally meant grand or boastful speech, later extended to a momentous event like birth. Pair it with 生 (to be born, life) and the compound names the moment something or someone comes into existence.
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.