野生

• Pinyin: yě shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 野 = 里 (village) + 予, meaning wild/field; 生 = pictograph of a sprouting plant, meaning grow/live

Meaning

Wild; wild-growing. Describing animals or plants living or growing in natural conditions without human cultivation.

Opposite of 养殖 (farmed) or 种植 (cultivated). Common phrases: 野生动物 (wild animals), 野生植物 (wild plants), 野生菌 (wild mushrooms). Conservation term: 野生动物保护 (wildlife protection). Also used metaphorically for self-taught people.

Examples

1. 云南的山里有很多种野生菌。 There are many kinds of wild mushrooms in the mountains of Yunnan.
2. 野生动物保护法禁止非法猎杀。 The Wildlife Protection Law prohibits illegal hunting.
3. 他是个野生的摄影师，全靠自学成才。 He's a self-taught photographer who learned everything on his own.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, conservation, food

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 野生动物需要保护。(Wild animals need protection.)
• 这是野生的蜂蜜。(This is wild honey.)

Don't Say

• 野生的人 — 人不用野生形容，可说'野性的'或'未经训练的'

Origin & History

Compound of 野 (wild, field) + 生 (grow, live). Together meaning growing or living in the wild.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal