KaiwaGo生 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
生 means “life, birth”. It is written with 5 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: セイ (sei), ショウ (shou). Kun’yomi: い.きる (ikiru), う.まれる (umareru), なま (nama).
How to write 生 (stroke order)
Write 生 in 5 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 生
Trace 生 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 生
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | セイ (sei)ショウ (shou) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | い.きる (ikiru)う.まれる (umareru)なま (nama) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 生 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 生
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 先生 | せんせい sensei | teacher | |
| 生まれる | うまれる umareru | to be born |
先生 (sensei) means “teacher”. Also in this word: 先
生まれる (umareru) means “to be born”.
FAQ
What does 生 mean in Japanese?
生 means “life, birth”. Common words with it are 先生 (sensei, “teacher”) and 生まれる (umareru, “to be born”).
How many strokes does 生 have?
生 has 5 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 5.
How do you read 生?
The on’yomi is セイ (sei), ショウ (shou) and the kun’yomi is い.きる (ikiru), う.まれる (umareru), なま (nama). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 生 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 生 is kanji number 61 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.