Chinese word

生涯

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēng yá

Meaning

  • nounlife

Example

他的生涯献给了音乐。tā de shēng yá xiàn gěi le yīn yuè

His life was devoted to music.

Illustration for 生涯 (life)

More examples

她的生涯跨越了半个世纪的创作时期。tā de shēng yá kuà yuè le bàn gè shì jì de chuàng zuò shí qī

Her career spanned half a century of creative work.

Core concept

A bounded human life seen as one continuous course, including the work built along it.

Common phrases

  • 职业生涯zhí yè shēng yá

    professional career

  • 学术生涯xué shù shēng yá

    academic career

  • 艺术生涯yì shù shēng yá

    artistic career

Similar words

一生yì shēng: The entire time from a person's birth until death.
人生rén shēng: The life of a person, including the experiences and events from birth to death.
终身zhōng shēn: The whole span of a person's life during which a state continues.
寿命shòu mìng: The length of time that a living thing can live.

Definition in Chinese

一个人从出生到死亡所经历的全部时间或时期。yí gè rén cóng chū shēng dào sǐ wáng suǒ jīng lì de quán bù shí jiān huò shí qī

Word origin

生 (shēng, "life") + 涯 (yá, "boundary") presents human life as a bounded span, which explains the word's use for a whole life or a long professional course.

Usage tips

  • This noun has a formal, biographical feel in everyday Chinese and is especially natural when discussing a person's long-term record or professional path.

Other meanings

  • careernoun

Related words

  • 职业生涯zhí yè shēng yáprofessional careernoun
  • 学术生涯xué shù shēng yáacademic careernoun
  • 艺术生涯yì shù shēng yáartistic careernoun

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