TongTong
Sign in

悬崖峭壁 (xuán yá qiào bì) — steep cliffs and precipices; (figurative) perilous or life-threatening situation

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'steep cliffs and precipices', used for both literal dangerous terrain and figurative 'on the brink' situations. More literary and dramatic than a plain word like 危险.

idiom
steep cliffs and precipices(figurative) perilous or life-threatening situation

Examples

  • 悬崖峭壁，。
    Zhè zuò shān dào chù dōu shì xuán yá qiào bì, fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
    This mountain is full of steep cliffs — very dangerous.
  • 悬崖峭壁，，。
    Miàn duì xuán yá qiào bì, tā méi yǒu tuì suō, yǒng gǎn dì pá le shàng qù.
    Facing the steep cliffs, he didn't back down and bravely climbed up.
  • 悬崖峭壁，。
    Nà ge xiàng mù xiàn zài chǔ zài xuán yá qiào bì zhī shàng, yí bù xiǎo xīn jiù huì shī bài.
    That project is now on the edge of a precipice — one misstep and it will fail.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

悬崖steep cliff
悬xuánhanging崖yácliff
偏正Modifier + head
峭壁sheer wall
峭qiàosteep壁bìwall
偏正Modifier + head

Steep 崖, cliff, and sheer 壁, wall, combine to picture a precipitous rock face.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 懸; 悬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
縣
縣xiàn懸xuán
Same sound today

The traditional form 懸 adds 心, “heart,” to the older form 縣, which gave the sound. The simplified 悬 is a later abbreviation.

Open 悬 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
厓
厓yá崖yá
Same sound today

崖 pairs 山 (mountain) with 厓 (cliff), and 厓 gives the sound yá.

Open 崖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùsoil mountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào峭qiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 峭 shows 山, mountain, paired with 肖 for sound; an earlier shape used 阜, a mound, instead of 山.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
辟
辟pì壁bì
Same sound today

壁 combines 土 (earth) and 辟, which gives the sound. The whole means an earthen wall.

Open 壁 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.