Chinese word

人生

Pronunciation

Pinyinrén shēng

Meaning

  • nounlife

Example

人生有起有落。rén shēng yǒu qǐ yǒu luò

Life has its ups and downs.

Illustration for 人生 (life)

More examples

在人生中会遇到很多选择。zài rén shēng zhōng huì yù dào hěn duō xuǎn zé

In life, you will face many choices.

Core concept

The thread that links a person's beginnings, changes, experiences, and ending into one lived whole.

Common phrases

  • 在人生中zài rén shēng zhōng

    in life

  • 每个人的人生měi gè rén de rén shēng

    everyone's life

Similar words

生活shēng huó: The everyday pattern of living, such as eating, working, and staying at home.
经验jīng yàn: Knowledge and skills learned from real actions and personal experience.
经历jīng lì: Personal events and the experiences a person goes through over time.
生命shēng mìng: Being alive and having the power to continue living.

Definition in Chinese

一个人从出生到死亡的全部经历和过程。yí gè rén cóng chū shēng dào sǐ wáng de quán bù jīng lì hé guò chéng

Word origin

人 (rén, "person") + 生 (shēng, "to be born; to live") views living as the complete course of one person.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word gives personal stories a broad time frame, so it fits questions about direction, turning points, and what a person has been through.

Other meanings

  • lifetimenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 人生观rén shēng guānoutlook on lifenoun
  • 人生苦短rén shēng kú duǎnlife is shortidiom

Word lists with this word