生子 (shēng zǐ) — (verb-object, literary/formal) to give birth to a child (especially a son)

Definition

Literary/formal verb-object phrase meaning 'to give birth to a child'. In modern Chinese, especially in formal writing or news, it's used for both sons and daughters; in traditional contexts it referred specifically to bearing a son.

verb
(verb-object, literary/formal) to give birth to a child (especially a son)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā qù nián shēng le yì zǐ, jīn nián yòu shēng le yì nǚ.
    She gave birth to a son last year and a daughter this year.
  • 生子。
    Hěn duō fū fù xī wàng zǎo rì shēng zǐ.
    Many couples hope to have a child soon.
  • ，生子。
    Tā jiā sān dài dān chuán, zhōng yú shēng zǐ le.
    His family had only one son per generation for three generations, and at last they had a son.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

生shēnggive birth
子zǐchild

生子 joins 生, meaning give birth, and 子, meaning child, describing bringing a child into the world.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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