一生 (yīshēng) · all one's life

一生 (yīshēng) means “all one's life; lifetime”. It is written with 2 characters: 一 (one) + 生 (to give birth). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 一生 is built

The characters

一 yī · one

What 一 is made of

一 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 1 strokes.

Origin hint: Represents heaven (天), earth (旦), or the number 1 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

生 shēng · to give birth

What 生 is made of

一 — horizontal stroke
土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: A shoot 屮 growing in the soil 土 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

她一生都在教书。Tā yīshēng dōu zài jiāoshū.She taught all her life.

这是我一生最快乐的一天。Zhè shì wǒ yīshēng zuì kuàilè de yī tiān.This is the happiest day of my life.

Questions about 一生

What does 一生 mean?

一生 (yīshēng) means “all one's life; lifetime”.

How do you pronounce 一生?

一生 is pronounced yīshēng.

Which HSK level is 一生?

一生 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).

Related words

Learn 一生 with its group

It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 38: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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