生离死别

生離死別

shēnglí-sǐbié

idiom #39,311

Meanings

1 parting in life and death
2 a final, irrevocable separation

Characters

to separate; to bid farewell

Examples

HSK 4

战争年代，许多家庭都经历了生离死别。

Zhànzhēng niándài, xǔduō jiātíng dōu jīnglì le shēnglí-sǐbié.

In wartime, many families endured heartbreaking, final separations.

HSK 7-9

机场的这一幕仿佛生离死别。

Jīchǎng de zhè yí mù fǎngfú shēnglí-sǐbié.

The scene at the airport felt like a parting forever.

Tips

history

Rooted in the Han yuefu poem 《为焦仲卿妻作》 (the source of Kongque Dongnan Fei): 生人作死别，恨恨那可论 - 'the living make a deathly farewell; how can one bear the grief?'

register

Strongly emotional and literary. Use for separations that truly are final or feel as tragic as death - exaggerating it for minor goodbyes sounds melodramatic.

Stroke Order

生 shēng

离 lí

死 sǐ

别 bié