生 Kanji – life
The Japanese kanji 生 can mean life, genuine, birth.
Meaning and Readings
How is 生 read?
生 has the onyomi readings セイ, ショウ and the kunyomi readings いきる, いかす, いける, うまれる, うまれる, うまれ, うまれ, うむ, おう, はえる, はやす, き, なま, なま-, なる, なす, むす, -う.
In romaji, these readings can be written as sei, shou, ikiru, ikasu, ikeru, umareru, umare, umu, ou, haeru, hayasu, ki, nama, naru, nasu, musu, u.
Common Japanese Words Using 生
These common Japanese words contain 生. Select linked kanji to explore their meanings and readings.
- お誕生日おめでとうございます（おたんじょうびおめでとうございます） — happy birthday
- 一生懸命（いっしょうけんめい） — very hard, with utmost effort, as hard as one can, with all one's might, for dear life, eagerly, desperately
- １年生（いちねんせい） — first-year student, first-year pupil
- 衛生（えいせい） — hygiene, sanitation, health
- 往生（おうじょう） — passing on to the next life
- 芽生え（めばえ） — bud, sprout
- 回生（かいせい） — resurrection, resuscitation, coming back to life
- 学生（がくせい） — student (esp. a university student)
- 学生時代（がくせいじだい） — student days
- 寄生（きせい） — parasitism