生長
せいちょう · seichou · JLPT N3 · noun
growth
🌱 生長 = life + lengthen: something alive getting longer
生 means life or to grow, and 長 means long or to lengthen. Japanese uses 生長 mostly for plants getting bigger. 成長 (same reading, せいちょう) is the usual word for people, economies and skills.
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.