危急

wēijí

adjective HSK 7 #10,224

Meanings

1 critical; dire; perilous

Characters

urgent; pressing

Literally 'dangerous and urgent' — a situation that is both life-threatening and time-sensitive.

Examples

病人的情况十分危急。

Bìngrén de qíngkuàng shífēn wēijí.

The patient's condition is extremely critical.

在危急时刻，他挺身而出。

Zài wēijí shíkè, tā tǐngshēn ér chū.

At the critical moment, he stepped forward.

Tips

usage

危急 is stronger than 危险 (wēixiǎn, 'dangerous'). 危险 means something is risky, but 危急 means there's imminent threat and no time to waste. Common in medical and military contexts: 危急关头 (wēijí guāntóu, 'a critical juncture').

Stroke Order

危 wēi

急 jí