生活
せいかつする · seikatsusuru · JLPT N4 · noun
life
🏠🍚 生活 = birth/life (生) + lively, active (活): life in action
生 (sei) means life or birth; 活 (katsu) means active or lively, as in 活動 (katsudō, activity). Together: active life, i.e. daily living. Add する to make the verb: 生活する, to live or lead a life.
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.
活 — water radical 氵 + tongue 舌
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water) suggests flowing or liveliness, while 舌 (tongue) hints at the sound. Early forms depicted gushing water, conveying the idea of being lively or alive. The meaning broadened from 'flowing water' to 'living, alive, active.'