辈
bèi · HSK 5
generation
👥 非 (not) + 车 (cart) — a non-vehicle 'lineage' line of people
辈 stacks 非 (fēi, not/wings) over 车 (chē, cart). Etymology: originally a row of chariots, extended to a rank or generation. Common in 一辈子 (yī bèi zi, a whole lifetime) and 长辈 (zhǎngbèi, elder).
辈 — non/not 非 + cart 车
Originally depicted a line of chariots (车) arranged in rows, with 非 indicating rows facing opposite directions. From 'row of carts' it extended to mean a generation, cohort, or class of people. Today it commonly means 'generation' or marks a group, as in 长辈 (elders).