生
life · genuine · birth
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph of grass sprouting from the ground.
Symbolism
Life, growth, nature. One of most common characters in Japanese names.
Spiritual Meaning
Represents birth and existence of life, spiritual concept questioning preciousness and meaning of living.
Anime & Manga
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン
Neon Genesis Evangelion(1995)
Philosophical mecha anime questioning the meaning of 'life.'
View on Amazon →Games
サバイバルゲーム各種
Survival Games(2010)
Developer: Various
Survival games where the goal is to 'live.'
View on Amazon →Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一生懸命
いっしょうけんめい
very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; very hard
一切衆生
いっさいしゅじょう
all living creatures; all living creatures
一蓮托生
いちれんたくしょう
sharing one's lot with another; being in the same boat; sharing one's lot with another
起死回生
きしかいせい
revival from the brink of death; recovering from a hopeless situation; resuscitation; revival from the brink of death
九死一生
きゅうしいっしょう
narrow escape from the jaw of death; narrow escape from the jaw of death
後生大事
ごしょうだいじ
with religious zeal; with utmost devotion; take great care of; with religious zeal
人生哲学
じんせいてつがく
philosophy of life; philosophy of life
酔生夢死
すいせいむし
idling one's life away; living to no purpose; idling one's life away
生殺与奪
せいさつよだつ
(having) life-and-death power (over); (having) life-and-death power (over)
生者必滅
しょうじゃひつめつ
all living things must die; all living things must die
耐乏生活
たいぼうせいかつ
hard life; life of austerity; hard life
半死半生
はんしはんしょう
all but dead; half killed; all but dead
無理往生
むりおうじょう
forced compliance; coercion; compulsion; forced compliance
七生報国
しちしょうほうこく
unfailing devotion to one's country; serving one's country for seven lives; unfailing devotion to one's country
適者生存
てきしゃせいぞん
survival of the fittest; survival of the fittest
殺生禁断
せっしょうきんだん
prohibition against hunting and fishing; prohibition against hunting and fishing
極楽往生
ごくらくおうじょう
rebirth in paradise; peaceful death; rebirth in paradise
生存競争
せいぞんきょうそう
struggle for existence; struggle for existence
自力更生
じりきこうせい
working out one's salvation by own efforts; rehabilitating oneself by one's own efforts; rectifying one's ways of life without relying on others' help; working out one's salvation by own efforts
衆生済度
しゅじょうさいど
enlightenment of the masses; leading the masses on the path of enlightenment (Buddhism); enlightenment of the masses
人生行路
じんせいこうろ
journey of life; journey of life
生々世々
しょうじょうせぜ
eternity; forever; through all eternity; eternity
生々流転
せいせいるてん
all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration; all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth
生死流転
しょうじるてん
all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration; all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth
生老病死
しょうろうびょうし
the four inevitables in human life (birth, aging, sickness, and death); the four inevitables in human life (birth, aging, sickness, and death)
万死一生
ばんしいっしょう
advancing in the face of death; having a narrow escape from the jaw of death; advancing in the face of death
輪廻転生
りんねてんしょう
all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration; all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth
一生不犯
いっしょうふぼん
(strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy; (strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy
一殺多生
いっさつたしょう
it is justifiable to kill one person to save the lives of many; it is justifiable to kill one person to save the lives of many
気韻生動
きいんせいどう
being animated (vivid) with grace (elegance, refinement); being animated (vivid) with grace (elegance, refinement)
後生可畏
こうせいかい
the young should be regarded with respect; the young should be regarded with respect
人生朝露
じんせいちょうろ
man's life vanishes like a dew; a person's life is as fleeting as a morning dew; man's life vanishes like a dew
転生輪廻
てんしょうりんね
all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration; all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth
十死一生
じっしいっしょう
narrow escape from the jaws of death; there being barely a chance of escaping death; narrow escape from the jaws of death
片利共生
へんりきょうせい
commensalism; commensalism
是生滅法
ぜしょうめっぽう
the law of arising and ceasing; the law of creation and destruction; the law of arising and ceasing
生滅滅已
しょうめつめつい
going beyond life and death and entering Nirvana; going beyond life and death and entering Nirvana
不老長生
ふろうちょうせい
perpetual youth and longevity; long life without growing old; perpetual youth and longevity
Proverbs & Idioms
生きとし生けるもの
いきとしいけるもの
All living things
Every creature that lives
生兵法は大怪我のもと
なまびょうほうはおおけがのもと
A little knowledge is dangerous
Half-baked skills lead to serious mistakes
Poetry
立ち別れ いなばの山の 峰に生ふる まつとし聞かば 今帰り来む
Poem #16 from Hyakunin Isshu
浅茅生の 小野の篠原 しのぶれど あまりてなどか 人の恋しき
Poem #39 from Hyakunin Isshu