生

To be born Component (生)

shēng · 5 strokes

The to be born component (生) is a component found in Chinese characters. In Chinese, components serve different roles: semantic elements contribute meaning, phonetic elements suggest pronunciation, and structural elements provide the character's framework. It primarily serves as a phonetic element, contributing pronunciation patterns to the characters where it appears. Characters containing 生 often share the pronunciation xing or sheng: 性, 姓, 星, 胜, 牲, 甥. It typically appears on the right side of a character. 6 characters: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

Radical vs. Component: 生 is also a Kangxi radical (life). As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For radical-specific details, see the To be born Radical (生) page.

To be born Component at a Glance

Stroke Count5
Total Characters6
Primary RolePhonetic (pronunciation)
Typical Positionright side
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 4 (1 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes10
Also a Kangxi Radical?Yes — view radical page

All To be born Component Characters

HSK 1 (1 characters)

星xīngstar

HSK 2 (1 characters)

姓xìngsurname

HSK 4 (1 characters)

性xìngnature, gender

HSK 5 (1 characters)

胜shèngvictory

HSK 6 (1 characters)

甥shēng(bound form) sister's son

HSK 7-9 (1 characters)

牲shēngdomestic animal

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the to be born component (生)?
There are 6 characters containing the to be born component (生) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. The most frequently used include 性 (xìng, "nature, gender"), 星 (xīng, "star"), 胜 (shèng, "victory"), 姓 (xìng, "surname"), 牲 (shēng, "domestic animal"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 生 a radical or a component?
生 is both. As a Kangxi radical, 生 (life) is part of the traditional system of 214 radicals used to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. As a component, 生 is a building block that contributes meaning, sound, or structure to compound characters. When a character "has the to be born radical," it means 生 is the character's primary classifier. When a character "contains the to be born component," it means 生 appears in the character's decomposition, regardless of whether it serves as the primary radical.
What sound does the to be born component (生) give to characters?
When 生 serves as a phonetic element (in 6 of its 6 characters), it commonly contributes these pronunciation patterns: xing (性, 姓, 星); sheng (胜, 牲, 甥). Phonetic components are one of the most powerful tools for reading unfamiliar characters — if you recognize 生 in a new character, there is a good chance the pronunciation is related. Note that tones and initial consonants may vary across characters sharing the same phonetic component.
Where does 生 appear in a character?
The to be born component (生) most commonly appears on the right side of a character. Full position breakdown: right side (4 characters), bottom (1 characters), left side (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 生 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include to be born component characters?
Characters containing the to be born component (生) appear across 6 HSK levels: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 1 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 1 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 1 with 1 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common to be born-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Components are identified through structural decomposition analysis of characters in the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首).