生まれ
うまれ · umare · JLPT N3 · noun
birth
👶 生 life + まれ: the noun form of 生まれる, to be born. U-mare: a mare gives birth
生 is the kanji for life. 生まれ is the noun made from the verb 生まれる (to be born), so it means birth or where someone was born, as in 東京生まれ, born in Tokyo. Sound hook: u-MARE, and a mare is a horse that gives birth.
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.