存亡攸关

存亡攸關

cúnwángyōuguān

idiom

Meanings

1 a matter of life and death
2 a make-or-break issue
3 of vital importance

Characters

to exist / survive

to perish / die

that which (classical particle)

to concern / relate to

Examples

这是一场存亡攸关的战役。

Zhè shì yī chǎng cúnwángyōuguān de zhànyì.

This is a battle of life and death.

改革对企业来说是存亡攸关的大事。

Gǎigé duì qǐyè láishuō shì cúnwángyōuguān de dàshì.

Reform is a make-or-break issue for the company.

Tips

grammar

攸 (yōu) is a classical particle meaning 'that which / what'. 存亡攸关 literally = 'survival or perishing — that which is at stake'. Functions as an attributive: 存亡攸关的 X.

register

Formal / written. Common in news editorials, speeches, and political analysis. The colloquial near-equivalent is 生死攸关 (shēngsǐyōuguān).

Stroke Order

存 cún

亡 wáng

攸 yōu

关 guān