挽救

wǎnjiù

verb HSK 7-9 #4,084

Meanings

1 to save; to rescue; to salvage

Characters

to pull back; to retrieve

to save; to rescue

Literally 'pull back and save' — rescuing something from the brink of failure or loss.

Examples

医生全力挽救病人的生命。

Yīshēng quánlì wǎnjiù bìngrén de shēngmìng.

The doctors did everything to save the patient's life.

这段婚姻已经无法挽救了。

Zhè duàn hūnyīn yǐjīng wúfǎ wǎnjiù le.

This marriage can no longer be saved.

Tips

usage

挽救 vs 拯救: both mean 'to save,' but 挽救 emphasizes pulling something back from the edge — a failing business, a dying patient, a ruined relationship. 拯救 is grander and more dramatic — saving the world, delivering people from suffering.

Stroke Order

挽 wǎn

救 jiù