Minsheng
/ˈmɪn.ʃəŋ/noun
A Mandarin Chinese term meaning the livelihood and welfare of the people, especially in political or socioeconomic contexts.
Did you know?Sun Yat-sen made minsheng one of his Three Principles of the People, linking the ancient phrase to ideas of economic justice and social welfare.
Etymological Timeline
3rd century BCE
Classical Chinese
民生
“The people’s life or livelihood; the phrase appears in the poem Li Sao in the lament “哀民生之多艰,” meaning “I grieve that the people’s lives are beset by hardship.””
Classical Chinese
Chinese
民
“The people or populace; an ancient Sino-Tibetan-associated Chinese morpheme for ordinary people or subjects.”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
生
“Life, living, or livelihood; combined with 民 to form the idea of the people’s means of living.”
Early 20th century
Modern Chinese
民生主义
“The Principle of Minsheng, one of Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People, concerning social and economic welfare.”
20th century
Wade–Giles/Pinyin English usage
minsheng
“A romanized Chinese political and socioeconomic term referring to people’s livelihood or welfare.”
Modern English
English
minsheng
“A specialized loanword used in discussions of Chinese history, politics, economics, and institutions.”