Definition
出身 (chū shēn) refers specifically to a person's family background or social origin — as a verb it means 'to be born into' a certain family, not 'to come from a place' (use 来自 for that). As a noun it overlaps with 家世 (jiā shì), but 出身 is more about the immediate family background while 家世 implies a longer family history or lineage.
verb
to come from (a family background)to be born into
noun
family backgroundorigin
Easily confused
- 出神chū shénsound-alikelost in thought; spellbound; daydreaming
Examples
- 出身。Tā chū shēn yú yí gè pǔtōng gōngrén jiātíng.He comes from an ordinary worker's family.
- 出身。Tā de chū shēn bìng bù yǐngxiǎng tā hòulái de chénggōng.His background did not affect his later success.
- 出身，。Tā chū shēn shūxiāng méndì, cóngxiǎo jiù ài dúshū.She was born into a scholarly family and has loved reading since childhood.
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