Radical 丿

5 strokes

label (124a) + plant (133a) = life 生

Recall the discussion (Character 125) about labels and clouds. Although you could see “clouds” in this character, they are not at the top of the character (which is where clouds rightfully belong), so we use label instead.

This character has various meanings connected with life, in particular birth and growth; it can also mean unripe, uncooked.

生日 (6) shēngrì birthday

[出生 (114) chūshēng to be born]

学生 (82) xuéshēng student, pupil

[女生 (15) nǚshēng female student]

Every house in the village has plants with labels displayed in the windows. It’s the custom that when a new child is born, a plant is chosen to symbolize their life (and labeled with the child’s name). / [DIY pronunciation]