生育

• Pinyin: shēng yù
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (to give birth); 育 = 亠 + 月 + 屮 (to raise, nurture)

Meaning

To give birth to; to bear children; reproduction — referring to the act or capacity of producing offspring.

Used in medical, demographic, and policy contexts. Key in discussions of birth rate, fertility policy, and reproductive rights. Common collocations: 生育率 (birth rate), 生育政策 (fertility policy), 辅助生育 (assisted reproduction), 生育权利 (reproductive rights). More formal than 生孩子.

Examples

1. 国家出台了一系列鼓励生育的政策，旨在应对人口老龄化和出生率持续下降的问题。 The government introduced a series of policies to encourage childbearing, aiming to address population aging and the continuing decline in birth rates.
2. 部分年轻夫妇因经济压力过大，选择推迟或放弃生育计划。 Some young couples, under heavy financial pressure, choose to delay or give up plans to have children.
3. 现代辅助生育技术的发展为许多不孕不育家庭带来了新的希望和机会。 Advances in modern assisted reproductive technologies have brought new hope and opportunities to many families struggling with infertility.

Usage Guide

Context: demographics, medicine, policy, social issues

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府希望通过延长带薪产假和提供育儿补贴等措施，有效提升社会的整体生育意愿。(The government hopes to effectively boost society's overall willingness to have children through measures such as extending paid maternity leave and providing childcare subsidies.)
• 生育权利是受到国际人权公约保障的基本权利，任何国家都不应通过强制手段干涉。(Reproductive rights are fundamental rights protected by international human rights conventions; no country should interfere through coercive means.)

Don't Say

• 生育 when simply meaning 养育 (to raise/nurture) — 生育 emphasises the biological act of bringing a child into the world; use 养育 or 抚养 for the rearing and upbringing process

Origin & History

生 (to give birth, to produce) + 育 (to raise, to nurture)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal