生孩子

You use it as a verb-object phrase. You can add a 'le' (了) to show it happened. You can add 'xiang' (想) to show a desire. It fits easily into most sentence structures. For example, 'She wants to have a baby' is 她想生孩子. It is very flexible and hard to mess up grammatically. Just don't use it for pets; that's a different word!

Use it when discussing family planning with friends. Use it when announcing a pregnancy to your parents. It is perfect for hospital visits or baby showers. If you are watching a TV drama, you will hear this constantly. It is the standard way to ask 'When are you having kids?' (though be careful asking that!).

Avoid using it in extremely formal medical reports. Doctors might use more technical terms like 分娩. Also, do not use it for animals. For cats or dogs, use 生小狗 or 产仔. Don't use it if you are trying to be incredibly poetic. It is a bit too 'down to earth' for a high-level literary poem.

In China, 生孩子 is a massive family event. It is often seen as a duty to the ancestors. Grandparents are usually very eager for this to happen. There is a famous saying: 'More children, more happiness.' While modern views are changing, the phrase remains central to social life. You might even get asked about it by a taxi driver!

You might hear 生娃 (shēng wá) in casual settings. 娃 is a cute, regional way to say 'baby.' Another one is 生个大胖小子, which means 'having a big fat boy.' This is a traditional blessing for health and luck. People also say 做产检 for the check-ups before the birth.