生き生き
いきいき · ikiiki · JLPT N2 · adverb
vividly
🌱🐟 生き生き = alive + alive: so full of life it says it twice
生き (iki) is the noun form of 生きる, to live. Japanese often doubles a word to make it stronger, so iki-iki means bursting with life. It describes fresh fish, energetic people and vivid writing.
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.
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.