救命

jiùmìng
verb HSK 6 #1,329

Meanings

  1. 1 to save a life; to save someone's life
  2. 2 Help! (cry for help)

Characters

To save a life - or as an exclamation: 'Save my life!'

Examples

HSK 2
Jiùmìng! Yǒurén diào jìn shuǐ lǐ le!
Help! Someone fell into the water!
HSK 6
Yīshēng jiù le tā de mìng.
The doctor saved his life.
HSK 7-9
Jiùmìng dàocǎo.
A life-saving straw. (A last resort.)

Tips

usage
As an interjection, 救命 is the standard cry for help in Chinese - like shouting 'Help!' in English. 救命稻草 (life-saving straw) = last resort / clutching at straws.
culture
In Chinese internet slang, 救命 is also used humorously to express exasperation or being overwhelmed: '这道题太难了,救命!' (This question is too hard, help me!).

Stroke Order

jiù
mìng