生物（せいぶつ、seibutsu）
- biology

The Japanese word 生物 (せいぶつ, *seibutsu*) refers to "living things," "organisms," or "life forms." It encompasses all entities that possess the characteristics of life, such as the ability to grow, reproduce, and respond to stimuli. This includes a vast range of organisms from microscopic bacteria to complex animals like humans. The word emphasizes the biological aspect of these entities, focusing on their existence as living beings. The word is often used in scientific contexts but can also be applied more generally.

⚫︎生物の研究 Translation: The study of biology / biological research. ⚫︎地球上の生物 Translation: Living things on Earth / organisms on Earth. ⚫︎[生物学］の授業 Translation: Biology class.

You use 生物 when you want to talk about any form of life. ⚫︎It is commonly used in scientific discussions, in the context of biology, ecology, and zoology. ⚫︎It can also be used in more general conversations when referring to living creatures or organisms. ⚫︎It is suitable when you want to be precise about referring to a living thing as opposed to a non-living object.

⚫︎The word is primarily written in kanji as 生物. ⚫︎The reading is せいぶつ (hiragana). ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana for this word.

⚫︎生き物 (*ikimono*): This is a more general term for "living things" or "creatures." It tends to be less formal than 生物. ⚫︎生命体 (*seimeitai*): Means "living body" or "life form," emphasizing the physical existence of living things. ⚫︎有機体 (*yuukitai*): Means "organism," emphasizing the complex structure of living things.

⚫︎無生物 (*museibutsu*): "Non-living things" or "inanimate objects." ⚫︎無機物 (*mukibutsu*): "Inorganic matter" - things that are not derived from living things.

この[生物]は珍しい種類の植物です。 ・Translation: This organism is a rare type of plant. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 生物 to refer to a plant, specifically emphasizing its biological nature.

[生物]多様性は地球にとって重要です。 ・Translation: Biodiversity is important for the Earth. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the importance of the variety of living organisms, using 生物 as a broad term for all life forms.

The kanji 生 (*sei*) means "life," "living," or "birth," while the kanji 物 (*butsu*) means "thing" or "object." Therefore, 生物 (literally "living thing") accurately conveys the meaning of "living organism" or "living being."