ChiramiN5 kanji · 5 strokes
生 means life, birth
生
生Real origin
It began as a plant sprouting from the ground: life, to be born.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- life, genuine, birth
- JLPT level
- N5
- Strokes
- 5
- School grade
- Grade 1 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) いきる ikiru
いきる (ikiru) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: いかす ikasu, いける ikeru, うまれる umareru
From Chinese (onyomi) セイ sei
セイ (sei) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: ショウ shou
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
生きる いきる · ikiru
to live, to exist
Used in 7 kanji
Quick check
What does 生 mean?
Right: 生 means life, birth.Not quite: 生 means life, birth.In 生きる, which reading does 生 use?
Right. 生きる is read いきる (ikiru): 生 takes い, its Japanese reading, with きる after it.Not quite. 生きる is read いきる (ikiru): 生 takes い, its Japanese reading, with きる after it.