生物 (shēng wù) — organism, living creature | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

生物 refers to a specific living thing (an organism or creature). 生命 is the abstract 'state of being alive' rather than a countable organism.

noun

organismliving creature

Measure word · 个

Examples

生物。
Zhè zhǒng shēng wù zài shā mò lǐ yě néng shēng cún.
This kind of organism can survive in the desert.
生物。
Hǎi yáng lǐ de shēng wù zhǒng lèi fēi cháng duō.
There are many types of organisms in the ocean.
生物。
Kē xué jiā yán jiū zhè liǎng zhǒng shēng wù de guān xì.
Scientists study the relationship between these two organisms.

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.

生shēngliving

生 (living) and 物 (thing) combine to mean a living thing.

Characters in this word

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

屮屮chèbud
一一yīground

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

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Appears in

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