土生土长

土生土長

tǔshēng-tǔzhǎng

idiom HSK 7-9 #18,009

Meanings

他是土生土长的北京人。

Tā shì tǔshēngtǔzhǎng de Běijīng rén.

He was born and raised in Beijing.

作为土生土长的上海人，她对这个城市非常了解。

Zuòwéi tǔshēngtǔzhǎng de Shànghǎi rén, tā duì zhège chéngshì fēicháng liǎojiě.

As a native Shanghainese, she knows this city very well.

memory

土 (earth/local) appears twice: born (生) from the local soil and grown (长) in the local soil — completely native.

grammar

Used as an attributive: 土生土长的 + place + 人. Example: 土生土长的广州人 (a native Cantonese).

土 tǔ

生 shēng

长 cháng