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致命伤 (zhì mìng shāng) — mortal wound, fatal injury; fatal weakness, vulnerability, Achilles' heel

Definition

Literally 'fatal wound' — used for both a physical lethal injury and, more often figuratively, a critical weakness or flaw that brings something down. The figurative sense ('fatal weakness, Achilles' heel') is what learners usually need.

noun
mortal woundfatal injuryfatal weaknessvulnerabilityAchilles' heel
Measure word · 处

Examples

  • 致命伤，。
    Tā zài zhàn dòu zhōng shòu le zhì mìng shāng, méi néng huó xià lái.
    He received a fatal wound in battle and didn't survive.
  • 致命伤。
    Zhè ge gōng sī de zhì mìng shāng shì zī jīn bù zú.
    The company's fatal weakness is insufficient capital.
  • 致命伤。
    Jiāo ào shì hěn duō rén shī bài de zhì mìng shāng.
    Pride is the Achilles' heel of many people's failure.

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.

致命fatal
致zhìcause命mìnglife
动宾Verb + object
伤shāngwound

致命 says causing death, and 伤 is wound; together it names a mortal wound or fatal weakness.

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
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì致zhì
Same sound today

致 pairs 至, used for its sound, with 攵, written in full as 攴.

Open 致 →

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 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
Injury & Disability

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