生
shēng life, to be born
5 strokes
Where the shape comes from
A plant pushing up out of the ground. Growing, being born, being alive.
Write it
Watch the order first, then trace it with the guide, then write it from memory. The model comes back over your strokes so you can see where the shape drifted.
Press Watch to see the stroke order.
Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.
Three words that use it
学生xuéshengstudent
生日shēngrìbirthday
先生xiānshengMr
Watch out
The mistake people make
Its tone often disappears as the second syllable of a word, as in 学生 and 先生, where it is said lightly.