逃命 (táo mìng) — to flee for one's life | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Run desperately to save your own life in immediate danger (disaster, attack). Stronger than 逃跑 (general flee) — 命 stresses life-or-death stakes.

verb

to flee for one's life

Examples

，逃命。
Dì zhèn de shí hou, dà jiā pīn mìng táo mìng.
When the earthquake struck, everyone desperately fled for their lives.
，。
Tā táo le yí cì mìng, zài yě bù gǎn qù nà ge dì fāng le.
He fled for his life once and never dared to go to that place again.
逃命。
Tā men cóng dà huǒ zhōng táo mìng chū lái.
They fled for their lives from the big fire.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

逃 means flee and 命 means life; together it describes fleeing for 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.

辶兆逃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

兆

兆zhào逃táo

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

逃 pairs 辶 (walk) with 兆, which gives the pronunciation.

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.

Appears in

Safety & Danger

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