生物

• Pinyin: shēng wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (life); 物 = 牛 + 勿 (thing, matter, creature)

Meaning

Living organism; biology — referring to any living creature or to the academic discipline of biology.

Functions both as a noun (an organism) and as a subject-area label (biology class, biological research). Common in academic, medical, and scientific discourse. Compounds include 生物技术 (biotechnology), 生物多样性 (biodiversity), 生物武器 (biological weapons), and 生物工程 (bioengineering).

Examples

1. 海洋中存在着数以万计种尚未被人类命名和研究的生物。 The ocean contains tens of thousands of species that have yet to be named and studied by humans.
2. 随着基因编辑技术的进步，生物医药领域正在经历一场深刻的变革。 As gene-editing technology advances, the biopharmaceutical field is undergoing a profound transformation.
3. 该实验室专门研究极端环境下微生物的生存机制与适应策略。 This lab specializes in studying how microorganisms survive and adapt in extreme environments.

Usage Guide

Context: science, education, medicine, environment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这片雨林中栖息着数百种濒危生物，科学家正在积极推进相关保护和研究工作。(This rainforest is home to hundreds of endangered organisms; scientists are actively advancing related conservation and research efforts.)
• 生物技术的突破性进展为攻克多种长期困扰人类的慢性疾病提供了新的希望。(Breakthroughs in biotechnology have provided new hope for conquering various chronic diseases that have long troubled humanity.)

Don't Say

• 生物 when referring to a non-living natural object — 生物 specifically denotes living organisms; use 物质 or 物体 for inanimate matter

Origin & History

生 (life, living) + 物 (thing, creature)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal