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A2 verb #1,500 most common 6 min read

出生

chusheng Top 1,500

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips 出生 in 30 Seconds

Explanation 出生 in your Level:

At the A1 level, '出生' (chūshēng) is one of the first verbs you learn to describe yourself. It is primarily used to state your birth year or your hometown. The structure is very simple: 'Subject + Time/Place + 出生'. For example, '我2000年出生' (I was born in 2000). At this stage, you don't need to worry about complex grammar. Just remember that '出生' comes at the end of the sentence or after the time/place. You will also see it on simple forms where you need to write your '出生日期' (birth date). It's a 'building block' word for basic introductions.

At the A2 level, you start using '出生' in more descriptive sentences. You might talk about where your family members were born or use the '是...的' structure for emphasis: '我是在北京出生的' (It was in Beijing that I was born). You also begin to learn related nouns like '出生地' (birthplace). You'll notice that '出生' is often followed by '在' (zài) to indicate a location. You can now use it to talk about animals too, like '小猫是昨天出生的' (The kitten was born yesterday). This level focuses on expanding the context of birth to include family and immediate surroundings.

At the B1 level, you move beyond simple facts and start using '出生' to discuss backgrounds and social contexts. You might say '他出生在一个富裕的家庭' (He was born into a wealthy family). You also encounter the more formal '出生于' (chūshēng yú) pattern, which is common in written texts and news. You'll start to see '出生' used in discussions about demographics, such as '出生率' (birth rate). At this stage, you should be comfortable using '出生' in both spoken and written Chinese, and you should understand the difference between '出生' (the event) and '生日' (the anniversary).

At the B2 level, '出生' appears in more complex literary and metaphorical contexts. You might read about the '出生' of a new idea or a social movement, although '诞生' is more common for this. You will learn idioms like '出生入死' (to risk one's life). You'll also be expected to distinguish '出生' from its synonyms like '诞生' (dànshēng) or '产' (chǎn) in professional settings. Your usage should reflect an understanding of register—using '出生于' in a formal CV and '我是...生的' in a casual chat. You also start to explore the cultural implications of birth in Chinese society.

At the C1 level, you use '出生' with precision in academic or professional discourse. You might analyze the '出生背景' (birth background) of a historical figure and how it influenced their later life. You'll understand the nuances of using '出生' versus '出世' in philosophical or religious texts. You can discuss complex social issues like '出生人口性别比' (sex ratio at birth) or the impact of '出生地主义' (jus soli) in international law. Your vocabulary around birth expands to include many four-character idioms and classical references. You can write detailed biographies using varied structures.

At the C2 level, '出生' is a tool for nuanced expression. You understand its role in classical Chinese and how it has evolved. You can use it in high-level literary critiques or philosophical debates about existence. You are aware of the subtle connotations it carries in different regional dialects or historical periods. Whether you are translating legal documents regarding birthrights or writing a poetic reflection on the nature of life, you use '出生' and its related forms with native-level fluency and cultural depth. You can masterfully play with the word's literal and metaphorical meanings.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

出生 in 30 Seconds

出生 (chūshēng) is the standard Chinese verb for 'to be born', used for humans and animals in all levels of formality.
It is an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take an object. You use it with '在' or '于' for time and place.
Commonly found in phrases like '出生日期' (date of birth) and '出生地' (place of birth) on official documents and forms.
Unlike English, it is used in the active voice. Avoid using the passive marker '被' when saying you were born.

The Chinese verb 出生 (chūshēng) is a fundamental term used to describe the act of being born. Etymologically, it is composed of two characters: 出 (chū), meaning 'to go out' or 'to emerge', and 生 (shēng), meaning 'life' or 'birth'. Together, they literally translate to 'the emergence of life'. This term is used universally across all levels of Chinese formality, from casual conversations about one's hometown to formal biographical accounts of historical figures. It functions primarily as an intransitive verb, often followed by a prepositional phrase indicating time or location.

Literal Breakdown: 出 (Out/Emerge) + 生 (Life/Birth) = To emerge into life.
Grammatical Category: Intransitive Verb (不及物动词). It does not take a direct object; you cannot '出生 someone'.
Usage Scope: Used for humans and animals. Occasionally used metaphorically for the 'birth' of ideas or movements in formal literature.

他在1990年出生。(He was born in 1990.)

In a broader sense, 出生 defines the starting point of an individual's existence. In Chinese culture, the details surrounding one's birth—such as the zodiac year, the specific hour (时辰), and the location—are traditionally considered significant indicators of one's destiny. Therefore, the word 出生 often carries more weight than its simple English counterpart 'to be born'. It is the anchor for identity and family lineage.

这对双胞胎在上海出生。(These twins were born in Shanghai.)

When discussing one's background, 出生 is frequently paired with nouns like '背景' (bèijǐng - background) or '地' (dì - place). For example, '出生地' (place of birth) is a standard field on official documents. The word is also used to describe the social class or family environment into which someone is born, such as '出生于书香门第' (born into a scholarly family).

他的出生给家庭带来了欢乐。(His birth brought joy to the family.)

Synonym Note: While '诞生' (dànshēng) also means 'to be born', it is much more formal and usually reserved for great people, nations, or significant inventions.

大熊猫幼崽昨天凌晨出生了。(The giant panda cub was born yesterday early morning.)

你是在哪儿出生的？(Where were you born?)

Using 出生 correctly requires understanding its common syntactic patterns. Because it is an event that typically happens at a specific time and place, it is almost always accompanied by prepositions like 在 (zài) or 于 (yú).

Pattern 1: Time/Place + 出生: [Subject] + [Time/Place] + 出生. Example: 我在北京出生。
Pattern 2: 出生于 (Formal): [Subject] + 出生于 + [Time/Place]. Example: 他出生于1985年。
Pattern 3: 是...出生(的): [Subject] + 是 + [Time/Place] + 出生(的). Example: 我是去年出生的。

鲁迅出生于浙江绍兴。(Lu Xun was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang.)

When you want to emphasize the *state* of being born or the specific background, you can use 出生 as a noun. For instance, '出生背景' (birth background) or '出生证' (birth certificate). It is also used in compound verbs like '出生入死' (to go through fire and water; literally 'to go from birth to death').

请在表格上填写您的出生日期。(Please fill in your date of birth on the form.)

In many cases, 出生 is used to describe a person's social origin. Phrases like '出生寒门' (born into a poor family) or '出生名门' (born into a prestigious family) are common in literature and news. This usage highlights the 'source' or 'origin' aspect of the word.

他虽然出生贫苦，但非常努力。(Although he was born poor, he worked very hard.)

Collocation: 出生率: Birth rate. Example: 那个国家的出生率正在下降。(The birth rate of that country is falling.)

You will encounter 出生 in a variety of settings, ranging from the most bureaucratic to the most intimate. In hospitals, medical staff use it constantly when discussing newborns. In schools, teachers might ask students about their birth years to group them by the Chinese Zodiac.

医生说婴儿是凌晨三点出生的。(The doctor said the baby was born at 3 AM.)

On official documents, '出生' is a keyword. Whether you are applying for a passport, a visa, or a library card, you will see '出生日期' (Date of Birth) and '出生地' (Place of Birth). In these contexts, the word is purely functional and data-oriented.

Biographies: Every biography starts with the subject's birth. '他出生于一个普通家庭...' (He was born into an ordinary family...)
News Reports: News about demographics often mentions '出生率' (birth rate) or '新生儿' (newborns).

根据报告，去年的出生人口有所增加。(According to the report, the birth population increased last year.)

In social situations, when meeting someone new, it's common to ask '你是哪年出生的？' (Which year were you born?) to determine seniority or zodiac signs. It's a standard icebreaker in many Chinese-speaking communities.

Learners of Chinese often make a few specific errors when using 出生. The most frequent mistake is treating it like the English word 'born' in a passive sense.

Mistake 1: Using '被' (bèi): Incorrect: 我被出生在上海。 Correct: 我出生在上海。 (Chinese uses the active voice for birth.)
Mistake 2: Confusing with '生日' (shēngrì): Incorrect: 我的出生是五月。 Correct: 我的生日是五月。 (Birth is the event; birthday is the anniversary.)

错误：他出生了一个孩子。正确：他妻子生了一个孩子。(You can't '出生' someone else.)

Another common error is the placement of the time or location. In English, we say 'I was born in 1990'. In Chinese, the time usually comes *before* the verb '出生' unless you use the formal '出生于' pattern.

Several words in Chinese relate to birth, but they are used in different contexts. Understanding these nuances will make your Chinese sound more natural.

出生 vs 诞生 (dànshēng): '出生' is neutral and used for everyone. '诞生' is grand and used for great figures (e.g., Confucius) or abstract things (e.g., a new era).
出生 vs 出世 (chūshì): '出世' is more literary or Buddhist. It can mean 'to be born' or 'to transcend the world'.
出生 vs 产生 (chǎnshēng): '产生' means 'to produce' or 'to emerge' for abstract things like feelings, problems, or effects.

新中国于1949年诞生。(New China was born in 1949 - use 诞生 for countries.)

How Formal Is It?

Difficulty Rating

Grammar to Know

Time before verb

Place before verb

Shi...de construction

Preposition 'Yu'

Preposition 'Zai'

Examples by Level

我2005年出生。

I was born in 2005.

Subject + Time + 出生

他在北京出生。

He was born in Beijing.

Subject + Place + 出生

你哪年出生？

Which year were you born?

Question form

小狗今天出生。

The puppy is born today.

Used for animals

我是三月出生的。

I was born in March.

是...的 structure

妹妹在医院出生。

Little sister was born in the hospital.

Place indicator

我的出生日期是1月1号。

My birth date is January 1st.

出生日期 as a noun phrase

他不是在中国出生的。

He was not born in China.

Negative form

他出生在一个大家庭。

He was born into a large family.

出生在 + Noun Phrase

这对双胞胎是在上海出生的。

These twins were born in Shanghai.

Emphasis on place

我的出生地是一个小村庄。

My birthplace is a small village.

出生地 as a noun

他出生那天天气很好。

The weather was good on the day he was born.

出生 used as a modifier

你是在哪里出生的？

Where were you born?

Standard question

很多孩子在春天出生。

Many children are born in spring.

General statement

他的出生给全家带来了快乐。

His birth brought joy to the whole family.

出生 as a noun subject

大熊猫幼崽昨天出生了。

The panda cub was born yesterday.

Verb + 了 for completed action

这位作家出生于19世纪末。

This writer was born at the end of the 19th century.

Formal 出生于

由于出生率下降，学校的学生变少了。

Due to the falling birth rate, there are fewer students in school.

出生率 (birth rate)

他出生在贫苦家庭，但后来成了富翁。

He was born into a poor family but later became a millionaire.

Contrastive context

请出示您的出生证明。

Please show your birth certificate.

出生证明 (birth certificate)

他出生不久就搬到了美国。

He moved to the US shortly after he was born.

出生不久 (shortly after birth)

每个人的出生背景都是不同的。

Everyone's birth background is different.

出生背景 (birth background)

这个孩子出生时体重很轻。

This child had a very low birth weight.

出生时 (at the time of birth)

她出生在一个音乐世家。

She was born into a family of musicians.

Describing lineage

他的一生都在为那些出生卑微的人奋斗。

He spent his whole life fighting for those of humble birth.

出生卑微 (humble birth)

这种思想的出生改变了整个社会。

The birth of this idea changed the whole society.

Metaphorical use

出生入死是军人的天职。

To go through fire and water (risk life) is a soldier's duty.

Idiom: 出生入死

该地区的出生人口正在逐年减少。

The birth population in this area is decreasing year by year.

出生人口 (birth population)

他虽然出生名门，但为人十分低调。

Although he was born into a prestigious family, he is very low-key.

出生名门 (born to prestige)

出生证上的信息必须准确无误。

The information on the birth certificate must be accurate.

Formal requirement

他出生于书香门第，从小就爱读书。

He was born into a scholarly family and loved reading since childhood.

Idiom: 书香门第

出生地原则在某些国家的国籍法中非常重要。

The principle of birthplace is very important in some countries' nationality laws.

Legal context

我们必须探讨出生背景对个人性格形成的深远影响。

We must explore the profound influence of birth background on personality formation.

Academic discussion

在那个动荡的年代，他的出生本身就是一个奇迹。

In those turbulent times, his birth itself was a miracle.

Literary emphasis

出生率的持续低迷引发了严重的社会老龄化问题。

The continuous low birth rate has triggered serious social aging problems.

Sociological analysis

他出生于草根，却凭借努力登上了权力巅峰。

He was born from the 'grassroots' but reached the pinnacle of power through hard work.

Metaphor: 出生于草根

法律规定，凡是在本国领土出生的婴儿均自动获得国籍。

The law stipulates that all infants born on national territory automatically acquire citizenship.

Legal terminology

出生缺陷的预防是公共卫生领域的重要课题。

The prevention of birth defects is an important topic in the field of public health.

Medical context: 出生缺陷

他对自己出生之地的感情非常深厚。

He has very deep feelings for the place of his birth.

Poetic expression

无论出生贵贱，每个人都应该享有平等的受教育权。

Regardless of the status of birth, everyone should enjoy equal rights to education.

Ethical statement: 出生贵贱

出生与死亡，构成了生命永恒的轮回。

Birth and death constitute the eternal cycle of life.

Philosophical context

他试图通过文学创作来超越自己卑微的出生。

He attempted to transcend his humble birth through literary creation.

Abstract literary theme

出生地主义与血缘主义的博弈是移民政策的核心。

The game between jus soli and jus sanguinis is at the core of immigration policy.

High-level political science

在存在主义看来，人的出生是偶然的，而意义是自创的。

From an existentialist perspective, a person's birth is accidental, while meaning is self-created.

Existential philosophy

该剧深刻揭示了出生阶层对个人命运的束缚。

The play profoundly reveals the constraints of birth class on individual destiny.

Critical analysis

出生证的伪造在跨国犯罪中屡见不鲜。

The forgery of birth certificates is common in transnational crime.

Criminology context

他出生于乱世，注定要经历非凡的人生。

Born in troubled times, he was destined to experience an extraordinary life.

Historical determinism

出生人口的质量关乎国家未来的核心竞争力。

The quality of the birth population is related to the core competitiveness of the country's future.

Policy-making discourse

Common Collocations

出生日期

出生地

出生率

出生背景

出生证明

出生人口

出生缺陷

出生年份

出生时间

出生顺序

Common Phrases

出生于

出生在

出生不久

出生以来

出生证明

出生入死

出生名门

出生寒门

出生草根

出生世家

Often Confused With

出生 vs 生日 (Birthday)

出生 vs 诞生 (Grand birth)

出生 vs 产生 (Produce/Emerge)

Idioms & Expressions

"出生入死"

"出生名门"

"书香门第"

"名门之后"

"落地生根"

"天生丽质"

"生生不息"

"优生优育"

"后生可畏"

"贪生怕死"

Easily Confused

出生 vs 生日

The anniversary of birth, not the act.

出生 vs 诞生

Used for great people or abstract entities.

出生 vs 出世

Can mean to be born or to become a monk/transcend.

出生 vs 生

The mother's action of giving birth.

出生 vs 产

Used for animals or production.

Sentence Patterns

Word Family

生日

生活

生命

生产

产生

生长

生动

生意

How to Use It

formality

出生于 is much more formal than 出生在.

active voice

Chinese treats birth as an event that happens to the person, expressed actively.

Common Mistakes

Using '被' (passive) with 出生.
Confusing '出生' with '生日'.
Putting the place/time after the verb (except with '于').
Using '出生' to mean 'to give birth' (that is '生').
Using '出生' for the start of a business (use '成立').

Tips

No Passive

Never use '被' with '出生'. It sounds like you were forced to be born!

Formal vs Casual

Use '出生于' for writing and '在...出生' for speaking.

Zodiac Connection

Knowing your '出生年份' helps you find your Chinese Zodiac sign.

Official Forms

Look for '出生日期' on any Chinese application form.

Emphasis

Use the '是...的' pattern to emphasize where or when you were born.

Tone Check

Both characters are 1st tone (high flat). Practice saying 'chū shēng'.

Heroic Terms

Learn '出生入死' to understand action movies and historical novels.

Icebreaker

Asking '你是哪年出生的？' is a very common way to start a conversation in China.

Hospital Context

In a hospital, '出生' refers to the medical event of delivery.

Origin

Remember that '出生' can also refer to one's social class or family background.

Memorize It

Word Origin

Cultural Context

Birth location affects your legal registration status.

Names are often chosen based on the time of birth.

Birth year determines your animal sign.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Conversation Starters

"你是哪年出生的？"

"你是在哪个城市出生的？"

"你家里有几个孩子出生？"

"你觉得出生背景重要吗？"

"你知道你的出生时辰吗？"

Journal Prompts

写一写你出生的那个城市。

你出生的那一年发生了什么大事？

你的出生背景如何影响了你？

谈谈你对出生率下降的看法。

描述一下你家里新出生的成员。

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

No, '出生' is an active verb in Chinese. You should say '我出生在...' without the '被' (bèi) marker.

'出生日期' is your specific date of birth (e.g., May 5, 1990), while '生日' is your birthday anniversary (May 5th every year).

Yes, it is the standard word for the birth of animals as well as humans.

You can say '我出生在龙年' or '我属龙' (I belong to the Dragon).

No, '出生于' can be followed by either time (e.g., 1990年) or place (e.g., 北京).

It is an idiom meaning to risk one's life or go through great danger, literally 'from birth to death'.

Yes, it can mean 'birth' or 'origin' as a noun, like in '他的出生背景' (his birth background).

You can ask '请问您是哪年出生的？'

It means 'birth rate', often used in news and social science contexts.

It's better to use '成立' (chénglì - established) or '诞生' (dànshēng - born) for organizations.