Navigation
Grammar Levels
HSK 1
27 points
HSK 2
49 points
HSK 3
92 points
HSK 4
99 points
HSK 5
45 points
Resources
Expressing being born in a place or time with 生于 (shēngyú)
Location & Position
Time Expressions
Structure
Subject + 生于 + Place/Time
Explanation
The verb phrase 生于 (shēngyú) means "born in" or "born at," used to indicate someone's birthplace or birth date. It is a formal, literary expression commonly found in biographies and historical texts. For example, 生于北京 means "born in Beijing."
Examples
她生于一九八五年，在上海长大。
tā shēng yú yī jiǔ bā wǔ nián, zài shànghǎi zhǎng dà.
She was born in 1985 and grew up in Shanghai.
这位作家生于一个普通的农村家庭。
zhè wèi zuòjiā shēng yú yī gè pǔtōng de nóngcūn jiātíng.
This writer was born into an ordinary rural family.
他生于北京，但在国外生活了很多年。
tā shēng yú běijīng, dàn zài guówài shēnghuó le hěn duō nián.
He was born in Beijing but lived abroad for many years.