Chinese word

生命

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēng mìng

Meaning

  • nounlife

Example

动物的生命很宝贵。dòng wù de shēng mìng hěn bǎo guì

Animals' lives are precious.

Illustration for 生命 (life)

More examples

医生尽力挽救了病人的生命。yī shēng jìn lì wǎn jiù le bìng rén de shēng mìng

The doctor did everything possible to save the patient's life.

Core concept

The ongoing existence of a living being, viewed as something that can continue through time.

Common phrases

  • 珍惜生命zhēn xī shēng mìng

    cherish life

  • 保护生命bǎo hù shēng mìng

    protect life

  • 挽救生命wǎn jiù shēng mìng

    save a life

Similar words

命mìng: The living state or life itself of a person or animal.
生活shēng huó: The day-to-day life of a person or family, including its usual activities.
寿命shòu mìng: The length of time that a person or living thing remains alive.

Definition in Chinese

指生物存在和维持生命的状态或过程，也可指生命持续的时间。zhǐ shēng wù cún zài hé wéi chí shēng mìng de zhuàng tài huò guò chéng yě kě zhǐ shēng mìng chí xù de shí jiān

Word origin

生命 (shēngmìng, "life") combines 生 (shēng, "to be born; to live") with 命 (mìng, "life; allotted span"), joining living existence with the time it lasts.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word has a formal, serious tone and appears especially in medical, ethical, and news contexts, while ordinary conversation often uses simpler expressions.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word