命归黄泉

命歸黃泉
mìngguīHuángquán
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to die
  2. 2 to meet one's end
  3. 3 to return to the Yellow Springs (the underworld)

Examples

Zhànluàn zhōng wúshù bǎixìng mìngguīHuángquán.
Countless ordinary people perished in the chaos of war.
Tā zhōng yīn bìng zhòng mìngguīHuángquán.
He finally passed away due to severe illness.

Tips

culture
黄泉 (Yellow Springs) is the traditional Chinese underworld — the destination of the dead. The image comes from the belief that a yellow underground stream flows beneath the earth. Compare English 'meeting one's maker.'
register
Literary and somber. Use for serious narration, historical writing, or eulogies — not casual conversation about someone passing away (use 去世 qùshì or zǒu le instead).

Stroke Order

mìng
guī
huáng
quán