Chinese word

危急

Pronunciation

Pinyinwēi jí

Meaning

  • adjectiveurgent

Example

这件事现在很危急，我们得马上处理。zhè jiàn shì xiàn zài hěn wēi jí wǒ men děi mǎ shàng chú lǐ

This matter is urgent now, and we need to deal with it immediately.

Illustration for 危急 (urgent)

More examples

病人入院后，病情危急，医生连夜抢救。bìng rén rù yuàn hòu bìng qíng wēi jí yī shēng lián yè qiǎng jiù

After the patient was admitted, their condition was critical, and the doctors worked through the night to save them.

Core concept

A danger closes in with so little time left that delay can worsen the result.

Common phrases

  • 危急关头wēi jí guān tóu

    critical juncture

  • 危急时刻wēi jí shí kè

    critical moment

  • 病情危急bìng qíng wēi jí

    critical condition

Similar words

紧急jǐn jí: Describes a time-sensitive situation that must be dealt with at once.
迫切pò qiè: Describes an urgent need or demand for a solution or response.
紧迫jǐn pò: Describes conditions so tight that delay is difficult and action is pressing.
紧要jǐn yào: Describes an especially important matter that should be handled without delay.

Definition in Chinese

指存在必须马上采取措施的紧急危险情形，强调避免更严重后果的必要性。zhǐ cún zài bì xū mǎ shàng cái qǔ cuò shī de jǐn jí wēi xiǎn qíng xíng qiáng diào bì miǎn gèng yán zhòng hòu guǒ de bì yào xìng

Word origin

危 (wēi, "danger") + 急 (jí, "pressing") join to picture danger that has become pressing and requires a rapid response.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this adjective has a formal, serious tone, so it fits emergencies better than ordinary time pressure such as a late meeting or a busy schedule.

Other meanings

  • criticaladjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word