胎生 (tāi shēng) — viviparity; live birth (giving birth to live young, as in most mammals)

Definition

A biological term meaning 'viviparity' — giving birth to live young rather than eggs. Contrasts with 卵生 (oviparity, egg-laying), as in 哺乳动物是胎生, 鸟类是卵生.

noun
viviparitylive birth (giving birth to live young, as in most mammals)

Examples

  • 胎生。
    Dà duō shù bǔ rǔ dòng wù dōu shì tāi shēng dòng wù.
    Most mammals are viviparous animals.
  • 胎生。
    tāi shēng Hé luǎn shēng shì bù tóng de fán zhí fāng shì.
    Viviparity and oviparity are different modes of reproduction.
  • 胎生。
    Kē xué jiā yán jiū yú lèi de tāi shēng xiàn xiàng.
    Scientists study the phenomenon of viviparity in fish.

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.

胎tāifetus
生shēngbirth

胎 refers to a fetus and 生 to birth, together naming live birth in mammals.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái胎tāi
Same sound today

胎 is formed from ⺼ (written in full as 肉) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 胎 →

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 →

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