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牺牲

犧牲
xīshēng
verb HSK 6 #1,827

Meanings

  1. 1 to sacrifice; to give up
  2. 2 to die for a cause; to lay down one's life

Characters

牺
xī
sacrifice; sacrificial animal
牲
shēng
domestic animal; livestock
Both characters originally meant sacrificial animals offered to the gods - now meaning to give up something precious.

Examples

HSK 3
他为了家庭牺牲了自己的事业。
Tā wèile jiātíng xīshēng le zìjǐ de shìyè.
He sacrificed his career for his family.
HSK 4
很多战士英勇牺牲了。
Hěnduō zhànshì yīngyǒng xīshēng le.
Many soldiers heroically gave their lives.
HSK 6
不要牺牲健康来赚钱。
Bùyào xīshēng jiànkāng lái zhuànqián.
Don't sacrifice your health to make money.

Tips

culture
Both 牺 and 牲 have the 牛 (ox) radical, because in ancient China, oxen, sheep, and pigs were the three main sacrificial animals (三牲). The word evolved from ritual sacrifice to the broader meaning of giving up something valuable.

Stroke Order

牺 xī
牲 shēng