命在旦夕

mìngzài-dànxī

idiom

Meanings

1 at death's door
2 life hangs by a thread
3 in critical condition (literally: life hangs between dawn and dusk)

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

病人命在旦夕，必须立刻动手术。

Bìngrén mìngzài-dànxī, bìxū lìkè dòng shǒushù.

The patient is at death's door; surgery must be performed immediately.

HSK 7-9

他被困在雪山上，命在旦夕。

Tā bèi kùn zài xuěshān shàng, mìngzài-dànxī.

Trapped on the snowy mountain, his life hung by a thread.

Tips

history

From the Tang-dynasty letter 《为建安王与诸将书》 by Chen Zi'ang (陈子昂), describing soldiers who "all suffered edema, with their lives hanging between dawn and dusk." 旦夕 literally means "morning and evening" - the span of a single day.

usage

Used for serious medical or peril situations only. Not a casual exaggeration. Synonym: 危在旦夕 (danger in dawn and dusk).

Stroke Order

命 mìng

在 zài

旦 dàn

夕 xī