Sentence #618010 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted
How 生活 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
生shēngto grow; to give birth; to produce
生 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
Memory aidA shoot growing up out of the soil 土: to grow, to be born.
活huóto live
氵water form of 水 · shuǐMeaning part
舌tongue · shéSound part
氵 hints at the meaning (water); 舌 (shé) hints at the sound. Compare it with huó.
How to write 生活
生 5 strokes · 活 9 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 生活 (shēnghuó). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
生活 (shēnghuó) means “to live” or “life”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it shēnghuó: shēng with a 1st tone, then huó with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 生活 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type shenghuo with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 生活 from the suggestions. Typing shenghuo into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
生活 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
生shēng1st tone, high and level
活huó2nd tone, rising
