TongTong
Sign in

避难 (bì nàn) — to take refuge, to seek shelter (especially from danger or political persecution)

Definition

避难 specifically means fleeing danger or persecution to a safe place. Unlike 躲避 (hide from danger on the spot) or 藏身 (go into hiding), it implies relocating to safety; 投奔 adds the element of going to a person for help.

verb
to take refugeto seek shelter (especially from danger or political persecution)

Examples

  • ，避难。
    Zhàn zhēng bào fā hòu, xǔ duō píng mín bèi pò bì nàn dào ān quán de dì fāng.
    After the war broke out, many civilians were forced to take refuge in safe places.
  • 避难。
    Zhè ge guó jiā wèi zhèng zhì nàn mín tí gōng le bì nàn de jī huì.
    This country provided opportunities for political refugees to seek asylum.
  • ，避难。
    Dì zhèn hòu, tā men bì nàn zài lín shí zhàng peng lǐ.
    After the earthquake, they took refuge in temporary tents.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

避bìescape
难nándisaster

避 means to escape, and 难 means disaster; together they describe escaping from danger.

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
辟
辟pì避bì
Same sound today

避 is built from 辶, a walking-related form, plus 辟, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 避 →

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Safety & Danger

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