死亡线 (sǐ wáng xiàn) — verge of death

Definition

死亡线 literally 'death line' is a dramatic, often written term for the 'verge of death' — the brink of dying. It emphasizes the narrow boundary between life and death, stronger than simply saying 快要死了.

noun
verge of death

Examples

  • 死亡线。
    Zhàn zhēng ràng xǔ duō rén zhēng zhá zài sǐ wáng xiàn shàng.
    The war caused many people to struggle on the verge of death.
  • 死亡线。
    Tā cóng sǐ wáng xiàn shàng bèi jiù le huí lái.
    He was saved from the verge of death.
  • 死亡线。
    Yī shēng bǎ tā cóng sǐ wáng xiàn shàng lā huí lái le.
    The doctor pulled him back from the verge of death.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

死亡death
死sǐdie亡wángperish
联合Side by side
线xiànline

死亡 refers to death, and 线 is a boundary line, so the word means the line at which death begins.

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The shape originally marked a knife's cutting edge with a line.

Open 亡 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →

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