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life, birth

JLPT N5 Grade 1 5 strokes
Kun'yomi
い・う
On'yomi
セイ・ショウ

生 means "life, birth". It is a JLPT N5 kanji written in 5 strokes. It is read い・う in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and セイ・ショウ in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 1.

Example word

先生せんせい

teacher

生 in example sentences

  • がくせいです。

    Gakusei desu.

    I'm a student.

  • きたい。

    Ikitai.

    I want to live.

  • がくせいなの?

    Gakusei na no?

    Are you a student?

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 生

Common questions

What does the kanji 生 mean?
生 means "life, birth". It is a JLPT N5 kanji.
How many strokes does 生 have?
生 is written in 5 strokes.
How is 生 read?
It is read い・う in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and セイ・ショウ in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 生?
生 is a JLPT N5 kanji.