众生

眾生
zhòngshēng
noun #33,799

Meanings

  1. 1 all living beings
  2. 2 all sentient beings
  3. 3 all creatures

Examples

HSK 7-9
Fójiào jiǎngjiu cíbēi wéi huái, pǔdù zhòngshēng.
Buddhism emphasizes compassion and saving all sentient beings.
HSK 7-9
Yúnyún-zhòngshēng zhōng, néng zhǎodào zhījǐ shí shǔ bùyì.
Among the multitudes of people, finding a true friend is not easy.

Tips

culture
众生 is a core Buddhist term translating Sanskrit sattva - all beings caught in the cycle of rebirth, including humans, animals, and other realms. The phrase 普度众生 ('universally saving all beings') captures the bodhisattva ideal.
usage
Often paired in literary contexts: 芸芸众生 means 'the teeming masses' and is the most common collocation in modern writing.

Stroke Order

zhòng
shēng