殉难 (xùn nàn) — to die for a just cause (e.g., in war or revolution); to die in a disaster (e.g., earthquake, flood)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to die for a just cause' (war, revolution) — extended to victims of disasters. Strongly written/literary register; neutral everyday speech would say 牺牲 or 死亡.

verb
to die for a just cause (e.g., in war or revolution)to die in a disaster (e.g., earthquake, flood)

Examples

  • 殉难。
    Tā zài zhàn zhēng zhōng xùn nàn le.
    He died for a just cause in the war.
  • 殉难。
    Nà cì dì zhèn zhōng xǔ duō rén xùn nàn le.
    Many people died in that earthquake.
  • ，殉难。
    Wèi le gé mìng shì yè, tā yì rán xùn nàn.
    For the revolutionary cause, he resolutely sacrificed his life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

殉xùndie for
难nándisaster

殉 means die for and 难 means disaster or cause, together dying for a cause.

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
旬
旬xún殉xùn
Same sound today

The left part 歹 relates to death, and the right part 旬 gives the sound.

Open 殉 →

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

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