生态

• Pinyin: shēng tài
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (life); 态 = 能 + 心 (state, manner, attitude)

Meaning

Ecology; the ecological system; the state and relationships of living organisms within their environment.

Used both literally (natural ecosystems) and metaphorically (business ecosystems, social ecosystems). Common in environmental policy, business strategy, and technology contexts — 产业生态 (industrial ecosystem), 生态环境 (ecological environment), 生态平衡 (ecological balance). A high-frequency term in contemporary Chinese public discourse.

Examples

1. 该保护区通过严格管控人类活动，成功恢复了当地脆弱的湿地生态。 By strictly controlling human activity, the protected area successfully restored the local fragile wetland ecosystem.
2. 互联网巨头正积极构建覆盖多个行业的数字经济生态，以扩大市场影响力。 Internet giants are actively building a digital-economy ecosystem spanning multiple industries to expand their market influence.
3. 专家警告称，过度捕捞已严重破坏近海的渔业生态，必须尽快出台限制措施。 Experts warn that overfishing has seriously damaged the coastal fishery ecosystem, and restrictions must be introduced as soon as possible.

Usage Guide

Context: environment, biology, business, policy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府制定了一系列政策，旨在修复因长期过度开发而遭到严重破坏的山地生态系统。(The government has formulated a series of policies aimed at restoring the mountain ecosystem severely damaged by prolonged over-development.)
• 这家科技公司通过开放平台接口，成功打造了一个涵盖数千家合作伙伴的健康应用生态。(This technology company successfully built a healthy application ecosystem covering thousands of partners by opening its platform interfaces.)

Don't Say

• 生态 as a synonym for 环境 in all contexts — 生态 specifically refers to the relational system between organisms and their environment, not the environment itself in isolation

Origin & History

生 (life, living) + 态 (state, condition)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal