'sheng1' vs. 'chu1 sheng1'

[Rrina]

Hi all!

Could someone explain to me what's the difference between 生 and 出生?

The dictionary gives me the same definition for both (to be born.)

In the FSI course they use 生 alone:

wǒ shi zài Dézhōu shēngde = I was born in Texas

Conversational Mandarin online uses 出生:

wǒ shi zài Los Angeles chūshēng de = I was born in Los Angeles.

I thought maybe 出 was for past tense, but then the shi...de construction takes care of that, doesn't it? It cannot be that it depends on whether you're a Texan or not, right?

[muyongshi]

It is about a difference in their usage mainly more than meaning. In the examples you gave both are okay.

Ok: 她生了孩子

Not ok: 她出生了孩子

Ok: 你是什么时候出生的

Ok: 你是什么时候生的

Ok: 你妈妈生了你

Not ok: 你妈妈出生了你

Ok: 出生了孩子

[cyjfox]

生 can mean "give birth to" but 出生 can't

[Aweni]

i think the meaning of “生”depends on what you want to express in the sentences.

for example:

1、陌生人(stranger)：here the“生”means something you don't know too much about (不熟悉的)

2、生肉 (raw meat)：here the “生”means uncoked.(没有煮过的)

3、出生 here the “生” means born ,and i think someimes the single used“生”also means "born" ：

I was born in China (我出生在中国/我生在中国)

i think there are still many chinese vocabularies about “生”，here i post some.i hope it can help, you may have more exercises and take notes, i believe practice makes perfect.

[huisheng]

NOT OK: 出生了孩子

OK: 孩子出生了

出生 means being born and 生 birth-giving, usage-wise.

[vinegrower]

wǒ shi zài Dézhōu shēngde = wǒ shi zài Dézhōu chushēngde

The former usually use in oral and informal, the latter could use in oral or informal or formal or writing.

We usually use 生 & 出生 like this:

我妈妈在德州生了我. = 我出生在德州.

他生了个男孩.

我出生于2050年13月.

出生 only have two usually useage: 1.出生于/在some place, 2. 出生于some time.

maining of 生 have many mainings. if maing give birth to , subject must be the mother's name.

I wil appreciate if you point out the mistake of my English.

[SWWLiu]

Perhaps looking at this might help:

出生 means "to be born" (an intransitive verb -- does not take an object)

As a verb, 生 means "to give birth"

As a noun, 生 means "birth" or "person" or "life", which can used in other combinations.

生日 sheng1 ri4 birthday

As an adjective, 生 means "raw" or "inexperienced" or "lively"

生肉 sheng1 rou4 raw meat (as opposed to 熟肉 shou2 rou4 cooked meat)

學生 xue2 sheng1 student

醫生 yi1 sheng1 medical doctor

生活 sheng1 huo2 living

生命 sheng1 ming4 life

生長 sheng1 chang3 to grow

陌生 mo4 sheng1 unfamiliar

陌生人 mo4 sheng1 ren2 stranger

生氣 sheng1 qi4 to get angry

生病 sheng1 bing4 to get sick

生小孩 sheng1 xiao3 hai2 to give birth to a child

發生 fa1 sheng1 to happen

出生 chu1 sheng1 to be born

I hope these can help.

[monto]

生 also has a light tone (sheng), such as in :

学生，医生， 先生，后生。。。。

[SWWLiu]

In what sense or context do people nowadays use the term "后生"? ("Yours Truly"? "Youngster"?)