Components

生 means 'life'

Animation / stroke order not available.
Strokes : 5    Radical number: 100    Frequency: 15   JLPT: N5    Usefulness: 1    Study set: 1-1    Grade: 1   Intermediate lesson: 1    Beginner lesson: 4   Begins 616 words   Used in 1526 words   Used in 4372 names   Component in 51 kanji (7 Jōyō)
Jōyō (常用)
On
   セイ   ショウ
Kun
   なま raw   かす to enliven   きる to live   ける to arrange flowers   まれる to be born    to give birth to    pure, undiluted    to grow, to sprout   える to grow, to sprout   やす to grow, cultivate
Kun    うまれ   うまれ   な   な   む   -う
Name    あさ   いき   いく   いけ   うぶ   うまい   え   おい   ぎゅう   くるみ   ごせ   さ   じょう   すぎ   そ   そう   ちる   なば   にう   にゅう   ふ   み   もう   よい   りゅう
生 could be considered to be composed of 𠂉 (man) and (ground; earth). However, both components are less common than this kanji itself.
Learn the facts of life by examining the radical in 生 and (giving birth).
⿻  𠂉 () man   ground; earth  
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In the most useful 10,000 words in Japanese, 生 is used 82 times, read 9 ways (with 4 variations).
Across all words in Japanese, 生 is used 1471 times, read 12 ways (with 13 variations). 1 word uses a non-standard reading.
Showing:
セイ : 1023 words FIND ALL
3 4
noun
junior high school student; middle school pupil
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ショウ : 93 words FIND ALL
0
adverbial noun (fukushitekimeishi), noun (temporal) (jisoumeishi), 'no' adjective
1. whole life; a lifetime; all through life; one existence; a generation; an age; the whole world; the era
2. (the only, the greatest, etc.) of one's life
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ショウ (read as じょう) : 46 words FIND ALL
0
birth; creation; formation
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セイ (read as ぜい) : 3 words FIND ALL
0
'no' adjective, adverbial noun (fukushitekimeishi), noun (temporal) (jisoumeishi)
usual; ordinary
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なま : 103 words FIND ALL
'no' adjective, 'na' adjective, noun, noun (prefix)
1. raw; uncooked; fresh
2. natural; as it is; unedited; unprocessed
(click the word to view an additional 9 meanings, examples and links)
き : 21 words FIND ALL
1
noun
1. cloth; fabric; material; texture
2. one's true character
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かす : 72 words FIND ALL
2
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
1. to live; to exist
2. to make a living; to subsist
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まれる : 35 words FIND ALL
0
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
1. to be born
2. to be produced
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える : 17 words FIND ALL
2
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
1. to grow; to spring up; to sprout
2. to cut (teeth)
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: 13 words FIND ALL
'ru' godan verb, intransitive verb
to bear fruit  (often written with kana only)
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: 6 words FIND ALL
0
Most common form: 生立ち
noun
1. growth; development
2. one's early life; upbringing; personal history
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: 4 words FIND ALL
'su' godan verb, intransitive verb
to grow (of moss, etc.)
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ける (read as いけ) : 4 words FIND ALL
3
'ru' godan verb, transitive verb
to capture alive; to take prisoner; to catch alive
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える (read as ば) : 3 words FIND ALL
3 2
ichidan verb, intransitive verb
to bud; to sprout
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きる (read as いき) : 3 words FIND ALL
3
noun
slicing a fish and presenting it at table in its original form; slices of fresh raw fish arranged to look lifelike  (see also: 活け造り)
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(read as なり) : 2 words FIND ALL
0
noun
1. great collection (of things); cluster; bunch
2. bottle gourd  (see also: 千成り瓢箪; abbreviation)
(click the word to view an additional 3 forms, examples and links)
まれる (read as うまれ) : 1 word FIND ALL
noun
birthday  (see also: 誕生日)
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き (read as きっ) : 1 word FIND ALL
0
pure; genuine; natural-born
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Part of a non-standard reading: 1 word. FIND ALL
noun
scotch bonnet (Marasmius oreades); fairy ring mushroom; fairy ring champignon  (often written with kana only)
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そう: 1 word. FIND ALL
noun
Aso Faction (of the LDP)
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おい: 3 words. FIND ALL
noun
second lunar month  (see also: 如月)
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いく: 5 words. FIND ALL
noun
lucky day; day of celebration  (see also: 吉日)
(click the word for examples and links)
せ: 1 word. FIND ALL
seminar student
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うぶ: 2 words. FIND ALL
0
noun
1. soft, downy hair (i.e. such as on one's cheek); peach fuzz; fluff; pappus
2. lanugo
(click the word to view an additional 1 meaning and 2 forms, examples and links)
よい: 4 words. FIND ALL
0
noun
1. third month of the lunar calendar  (obsolete term)
2. thick growth (of grass, etc.)  (archaic; this meaning is restricted to reading いやおい)
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ふ: 4 words. FIND ALL
0
lawn
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An additional ふ less common words include 生 but the reading has not yet been categorized.
Henshall: 44 (originally: 42)  Joy o' Kanji : 42  Key to Kanji: 601 

Cascading kanji view

セイ   ショウ    life   なま raw   いかす to enliven   いきる to live   いける to arrange flowers   うまれる to be born   う to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   お to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
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