绝处逢生 (jué chǔ féng shēng) — to find a way out from a desperate situation; to be unexpectedly rescued from the brink of disaster

Definition

A chengyu for escaping certain doom at the last moment — 'finding life at death's door.' Used for narrow, often miraculous escapes from disaster.

idiom
to find a way out from a desperate situationto be unexpectedly rescued from the brink of disaster

Examples

  • 绝处逢生，。
    Tā zài gōng sī dǎo bì qián jué chǔ féng shēng, zhǎo dào le xīn de tóu zī.
    He found a way out before the company went bankrupt, securing new investment.
  • 绝处逢生。
    Yī shēng shuō tā néng jué chǔ féng shēng zhēn shì gè qí jì.
    The doctor said it's a miracle that he survived.
  • 绝处逢生。
    Zhè běn shū jiǎng shù le yí gè rén jué chǔ féng shēng de gù shi.
    This book tells the story of a person who found a way out of a desperate situation.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
夆
夆páng逢féng
Same sound today

In 逢, 辶 is the walking part and 夆 is the sound part.

Open 逢 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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