<p>生 does not mean &quot;new&quot;. It has the meaning of &quot;unfamiliar&quot; (生疏，不熟悉的）. &quot;生词&quot; literally means unfamiliar word.</p>
<p>Check <a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%94%9F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">zdic</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-13T13:54:28.867Z
2021-07-13T13:54:28.867Z
fefe
<p>生 can be used for &quot;unknown/unfamiliar things&quot; such as 生人(an unknown person), 生面孔 (an unknown face), 陌生(unfamiliar), 陌生人(stranger).</p>
<p>生字 and 生词 mean a word or a phrase that is unknown to the person prior to seeing them or, been taught the first time. In this case, you can think it means &quot;new&quot;, a new word, or a new phrase to that person.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-14T04:35:37.167Z
2021-07-14T04:35:37.167Z
r13
<p>The dictionary says 生词 means &quot;new words&quot;. I know that 词 means &quot;word&quot;. Then I concluded that 生 would mean &quot;new&quot; as well as the famous meaning &quot;birth&quot; that it has. But I couldn't find the meaning &quot;new&quot; for the word 生 in the dictionary.
Could anyone help me understand how did 生 come to have &quot;new&quot; meaning?
I have also come across 生　somewhere else where it meant &quot;production&quot;.
Again, I couldn't find the meaning &quot;production&quot; for it in the dictionary.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-13T14:19:42.563Z
`生词` means 陌**生**的单**词**, and `生人` means stranger. `生肉` means raw meat. `生产` means production, I have not heard that a single `生` means production.
LiuYan 刘研
<meaning>
Compound words with 生
# Compound words with 生

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-13)

The dictionary says 生词 means "new words". I know that 词 means "word". Then I concluded that 生 would mean "new" as well as the famous meaning "birth" that it has. But I couldn't find the meaning "new" for the word 生 in the dictionary.
Could anyone help me understand how did 生 come to have "new" meaning?
I have also come across 生　somewhere else where it meant "production".
Again, I couldn't find the meaning "production" for it in the dictionary.

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: `生词` means 陌**生**的单**词**, and `生人` means stranger. `生肉` means raw meat. `生产` means production, I have not heard that a single `生` means production.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-07-13. Score: 3

生 does not mean "new". It has the meaning of "unfamiliar" (生疏，不熟悉的）. "生词" literally means unfamiliar word.

Check [zdic](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%94%9F).


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-07-14. Score: 0

生 can be used for "unknown/unfamiliar things" such as 生人(an unknown person), 生面孔 (an unknown face), 陌生(unfamiliar), 陌生人(stranger).

生字 and 生词 mean a word or a phrase that is unknown to the person prior to seeing them or, been taught the first time. In this case, you can think it means "new", a new word, or a new phrase to that person.


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