About
The character "牲" is structurally formed from the radical 牛, which denotes cattle or animals broadly, paired with 生, functioning phonetically while also evoking concepts of life and generation. This composition originally encapsulated the idea of domesticated animals raised specifically as living offerings for ceremonial sacrifices, where their vitality was a key aspect of the ritual. Over centuries, the term's meaning widened beyond the sacrificial context to include all kinds of livestock utilized for agricultural work, dairy production, and as sources of meat, reflecting a shift from religious specificity to general husbandry. In modern usage, while the character commonly refers to livestock in everyday language, it preserves its ancestral link to ritual practice within fixed expressions, demonstrating a semantic expansion from a narrow ceremonial focus to a broader economic and social category.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这些牲畜很可爱。
牲口在田里干活。
他牺牲了休息时间。
这些牲口需要充足的饲料。
为了保护牲畜，他们建了围栏。
牺牲个人利益有时是必要的。
在古代，祭祀要用三牲。
他的牺牲精神值得我们学习。