生

Japanese > Kanji > 生

This is the kanji for life. As such it can mean revive, bring to life, let live, bear (a child), be born, grow, raw, or draft (beer). As a prefix it means pure.

on readings:
  • sei
  • sho
kun readings:
  • i
  • u
  • ha
  • o
  • nama
  • ki
examples:
葭始生 Ashi hajimete shōzu April 20 - 24
同級生 dōkyūsei classmate
衛生 eisei hygiene, sanitation
学生 gakusei student
生える haeru grow
半夏生 Hange shōzu July 2 - 6
生やす hayasu grow, cultivate, wear a beard
生かす ikasu revive, bring to life, let live
生け花 ikebana the art of flower arranging
生け捕り ikedori capturing alive
生ける ikeru be alive
生き甲斐 ikigai reason for being
生き物 ikimono creature
生き残る ikinokoru survive
生きる ikiru be alive
一生 isshō one's whole life
一生懸命 isshōkenmei as hard as one can
人生 jisei life, human life
蟷螂生 Kamakiri shōzu June 6-10
生 ki- pure
厚生省 Kōseishō Ministry of Health and Welfare
門下生 monkasei pupil
生 nama raw, draft beer
生ビール namabīru draft beer
何年生 nannensei what school year
乃東生 Natsukarekusa shōzu December 22–26
生う ō grow
生物 seibutsu organism
生物学 seibutsugaku biology
生物学者 seibutsugakusha biologist
生命 seimei life
生命保険 seimeihoken life insurance
生態 seitai mode of life, ecology
生徒 seito pupil, student
先生 sensei teacher
生姜 shōga ginger
生じる shōjiru occur
大量生産 tairyō seisan mass production
竹笋生 takenoko shōzu May 15 - 20
誕生 tanjou birth
誕生日 tanjoubi birthday
生まれる umareru be born
生む umu bear a child, give birth
野生 yasei wild

links:
Ikebana
Ikigai
Japanese calander
The Little Book of Ikigai
Wiktionary

Last ∆ on 1 March 2026 by Bradley James Wogsland.