(bound form) at first; initially, (bound form) first; early, (bound form) (in lunar calendar dates, before numerals 1–10) days 1 to 10 of a month, as in 初三[chu1 san1] "the third"
to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born, to arise; to occur, to light (a fire), to live; to be alive, life, raw; uncooked; unprocessed, unfamiliar; strange, (bound form) student; person engaged in a field, (bound form) male role in traditional opera, (bound form) life; lifetime, (bound form) means of livelihood, (bound form) very; intensely (as in 生疼[sheng1 teng2]), (bound form) in a forced manner (as in 生拉硬拽[sheng1 la1 ying4 zhuai4])