性命

xìngmìng

noun HSK 7-9 #3,449

Meanings

1 life
2 one's life (often in danger)

Characters

Examples

他冒着生命危险救了她的性命。

Tā mào zhe shēngmìng wéixiǎn jiù le tā de xìngmìng.

He risked his life to save hers.

这场事故差点要了他的性命。

Zhè chǎng shìgù chàdiǎn yào le tā de xìngmìng.

This accident nearly cost him his life.

Tips

usage

性命 is more literary and dramatic than 生命. It's often used in life-or-death contexts: 拼了性命 (risk one's life), 丢了性命 (lose one's life).

Stroke Order

性 xìng

命 mìng