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来生 (lái shēng) — next life; future incarnation (in Buddhist or folk belief)

Definition

Literary/religious term for the 'next life' (rebirth in Buddhist or folk belief), contrasted with one's current life (今生 / 今世). Less common in everyday speech than 前世 for past lives or 来世 for the world to come.

noun
next lifefuture incarnation (in Buddhist or folk belief)

Examples

  • 来生。
    Yǒu rén xiāng xìn lái shēng huì biàn chéng dòng wù.
    Some people believe that in the next life they will become animals.
  • 来生。
    Tā cháng shuō xī wàng lái shēng huán néng yù jiàn tā.
    He often says he hopes to meet her in the next life.
  • 来生。
    Fó jiào rèn wéi lái shēng yóu jīn shēng suǒ zào de yè jué dìng.
    Buddhism believes that the next life is determined by the karma created in this life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

来láinext/coming
生shēnglife

来 points to the coming one and 生 is life, so it names the next incarnation.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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
Religion & Belief

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