拚命 (pàn mìng) — to risk one's life; to exert extreme effort, to do one's utmost

Definition

拚命 is an intransitive verb meaning to push oneself to the absolute limit, with the vivid sense of 'risking one's life' for the goal. Often used as 拚命地 + verb ('desperately VERB').

verb
to risk one's lifeto exert extreme effortto do one's utmost
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā wèi le jiù nà ge hái zi, pīn le mìng dì pǎo guò qù.
    To save that child, he ran desperately.
  • 拚命。
    Tā zài zhè chǎng bǐ sài zhōng pàn mìng zhēng qǔ shèng lì.
    He fought desperately to win in this match.
  • 拚命，。
    Tā pàn mìng dì xué xí, zhōng yú kǎo shàng le dà xué.
    She studied desperately and finally got into university.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拚pīnrisk
命mìnglife

The idea of 拚, to stake or risk, is directed at 命, life, giving the sense of risking one's life.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
弁
弁biàn拚pàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 拚, the part 扌 is the hand radical, while 弁 gives the sound biàn.

Open 拚 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng命mìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Open 命 →

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