Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 生 depicts a plant sprouting from the earth, representing life, birth, and growth. In oracle bone script, it showed a small plant emerging from the ground. Over centuries, it evolved through bronze script and seal script forms before standardizing into its modern form. The character carries meanings of being born, living, raw/unprocessed, and student (as in 学生). It beautifully captures the Chinese philosophical concept of continuous growth and vitality. Arrived in Japan: The character 生 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, along with the introduction of Chinese writing system to Japan. It was part of the early wave of kanji imported through cultural exchange with China, primarily via Korean peninsula. The character was fully integrated into Japanese writing by the Nara period (710-794 CE).