TongTong
Sign in

舍命 (shě mìng) — to risk or sacrifice one's life (often for a cause or another person)

Definition

舍命 (shě mìng) means to risk or give up one's life for a cause or another person — stronger than 拼命, which means simply 'to risk one's life' in a struggle or for an effort, often without a nobler cause.

verb
to risk or sacrifice one's life (often for a cause or another person)

Examples

  • 舍命。
    Tā shě mìng qù jiù nà ge hái zi.
    He risked his life to save that child.
  • 。
    Nà ge zhàn shì wèi zǔ guó shè le mìng.
    That soldier sacrificed his life for his country.
  • ，。
    Zài nà chǎng dà huǒ zhōng, tā shè le mìng jiù chū sān gè rén.
    In that fire, he risked his life to rescue three people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

舍shèsacrifice
命mìnglife

舍 and 命 together mean to sacrifice 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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú舍shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

舍 is 余 plus 口. 余 was the original picture for this word, and 口 was later added to distinguish it.

Open 舍 →

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 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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