维生

維生

wéishēng

verb #20,393

Meanings

1 to make a living
2 to sustain oneself
3 to support one's life

Characters

maintain / preserve

Examples

他靠卖菜维生。

Tā kào mài cài wéishēng.

He makes a living by selling vegetables.

在那个年代，很多人只能勉强维生。

Zài nàge niándài, hěn duō rén zhǐ néng miǎnqiǎng wéishēng.

In that era, many people could barely sustain themselves.

Tips

usage

维生 is short for 维持生活 (wéichí shēnghuó), meaning 'to maintain one's livelihood'. It often follows 靠 (by means of) to describe how someone earns their keep.

Stroke Order

维 wéi

生 shēng