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生育 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
生育shēngyùto bearHSK 7, vn, rank #9178, Hard
生育shēngyùto give birthHSK 7, vn, rank #9178, Hard
生育shēngyùto growHSK 7, vn, rank #9178, Hard
生育shēngyùto rearHSK 7, vn, rank #9178, Hard
生育shēngyùto bring up (children)HSK 7, vn, rank #9178, Hard
shēngyù(sheng1yu4) T1
  1. 1to bear
  2. 2to give birth
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March 24, 2026
生育shēngyù(sheng1yu4)

生育 (shēngyù) refers to the processes of giving birth and rearing children. It encompasses not only the act of childbirth but also the nurturing and upbringing of offspring, highlighting the responsibilities and stages involved in parenting.

Frequency#9178DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about 生育 are often tied to societal values surrounding family size and government policies, such as the former one-child policy, which significantly influenced how families approach childbirth and rearing.

Memory Tip

Imagine a mother giving birth in a lush green field ('生' means 'to give birth' and '育' suggests 'growth'). Visualize this scene vividly to remember that 生育 involves both the birth and the nurturing of life, emphasizing growth and development.

Meanings of 生育

shēngyù(sheng1yu4)
1to bear
2to give birth
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 生育

生育Simplified
Strokes
Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#9178Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 生育

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Podcast: 生育

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AI Study Notes for 生育

Quick Contrast

生育 (shēngyù) vs 繁殖 (fánzhí) — use 生育 for human birth and upbringing, while 繁殖 is typically used for the reproduction of animals or plants.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a mother giving birth in a lush green field ('生' means 'to give birth' and '育' suggests 'growth'). Visualize this scene vividly to remember that 生育 involves both the birth and the nurturing of life, emphasizing growth and development.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 生育 with related terms like 生 (to be born) and 育 (to nurture), which can lead to vague or incorrect usage. This term is more formal and is often used in discussions about family planning and social policies.

HSK Study Tips

As a level 6 vocabulary word, 生育 connects with other terms related to family, health, and social issues. Students should focus on understanding its nuances in different contexts, especially in formal discussions about population and child-rearing.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussions about 生育 are often tied to societal values surrounding family size and government policies, such as the former one-child policy, which significantly influenced how families approach childbirth and rearing.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 生育 with 生 (to be born), leading to sentences like '我生育了一个孩子' (I gave birth to a child), which is awkward. The correct phrasing would be '我生了一个孩子' (I gave birth to a child).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 生育

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Component Characters

shēngto be born
HSK 45 strokes
View full entry
to have children
HSK 48 strokes
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Write 生育

Practice writing 生育 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 生育

生育 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

其他变化包括对非婚夫妇____更为宽容的态度。

Other changes include more tolerant attitudes to unmarried couples having children.

Example Sentences for 生育 (3)

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1
其他变化包括对非婚夫妇生育更为宽容的态度。

qí tā biàn huà bāo kuò duì fēi hūn fū fù shēng yù gēng wéi kuān róng de tài dù。

Other changes include more tolerant attitudes to unmarried couples having children.
2
当然,并不是所有的酗酒者和吸毒者都会生育出不正常的后代。

dāng rán, , bìng bù shì suǒ yǒu de xù jiǔ zhě hé xī dú zhě dū huì shēng yù chū bù zhèng cháng de hòu。

Of course, not all alcoholics and drug abusers produce deviant offspring.
3
久未生育之后, 她一连又生了两个儿子.

jiǔ wèi shēng yù zhī hòu, , tā yī lián yòu shēng le liǎng gè ér.

After a fallow period, she gave birth to two sons.

Cultural Notes for 生育

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, discussions about 生育 are often tied to societal values surrounding family size and government policies, such as the former one-child policy, which significantly influenced how families approach childbirth and rearing.

Frequently Asked Questions about 生育

Typically, 生育 is used in more formal contexts, such as academic discussions or policy-making, rather than casual conversations.