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送死 (sòng sǐ) — (colloquial) to court death; to ask for trouble; (v.o.) to send someone to their death; to cause someone's death

Definition

送死 (sòng sǐ) means to court death or ask for trouble by doing something reckless. It implies the person is bringing harm on themselves — the second sense ('send someone to their death') makes the object explicit.

verb
(colloquial) to court deathto ask for trouble(v.o.) to send someone to their deathto cause someone's death

Examples

  • ，送死。
    Nǐ yí gè rén qù nà me wēi xiǎn de dì fāng, jiǎn zhí shì sòng sǐ.
    Going to such a dangerous place alone is simply courting death.
  • ，送死？
    Tā zhè yàng zuò, bú shì sòng sǐ ma?
    Isn't he asking for trouble by doing this?
  • ，。
    Tā zhè yàng mào xiǎn, jiǎn zhí shì zài sòng zì jǐ de sǐ.
    Taking such a risk, he's practically sending himself to his death.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

送sòngsend
死sǐdeath

送 means send and 死 means death, so the word pictures sending someone toward death.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòto walk
Sound part声符shēngfú
灷
灷zhuàn送sòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

送 combines 辶, the walking radical, with 灷, which supplies the sound; the walking part fits meanings like see off or deliver.

Open 送 →

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 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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