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为生 (wéi shēng) — to make a living

Definition

为生 (wéishēng) means 'to make a living' and appears in fixed patterns like 靠…为生, 以…为生. It's a written/literary phrase — in everyday speech, 谋生 or 过日子 is more natural.

verb
to make a living

Examples

  • 为生。
    Tā kào mài cài wéi shēng.
    He makes a living by selling vegetables.
  • 为生。
    Hěn duō rén yǐ dǎ yú wéi shēng.
    Many people make a living by fishing.
  • 为生。
    Tā yǐ xiě zuò hé fān yì wéi shēng.
    She makes a living by writing and translating.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

为wèimake/take as
生shēnglife/livelihood

为 means make or take as, and 生 means life or livelihood; together they express taking something as one's living.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

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 →
Appears in
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