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出生入死 (chū shēng rù sǐ) — to brave untold dangers; to risk one's life (in service of a cause)

Definition

Literary chengyu meaning to go through life-and-death danger for a cause — 'braving death, risking one's life'. Used for heroes, martyrs, or selfless devotion, not everyday bravery.

idiom
to brave untold dangersto risk one's life (in service of a cause)

Examples

  • 出生入死，。
    Tā zài zhàn chǎng shàng chū shēng rù sǐ, lì xià le xǔ duō gōng láo.
    He braved untold dangers on the battlefield and made many contributions.
  • 出生入死，。
    Gé mìng xiān liè men chū shēng rù sǐ, huàn lái le jīn tiān de hé píng.
    The revolutionary martyrs braved untold dangers and brought about today's peace.
  • 出生入死，。
    Méi yǒu tā men chū shēng rù sǐ de jīng shén, jiù méi yǒu wǒ men de xìng fú shēng huó.
    Without their spirit of braving untold dangers, we wouldn't have our happy life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

出生leave life
出chūleave生shēnglife
动宾Verb + object
入死enter death
入rùenter死sǐdeath
动宾Verb + object

Leaving 生 and entering 死, the two halves join to mean facing mortal danger.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

入 is drawn as an arrowhead, indicating 'to enter'.

Open 入 →

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
Idioms & Set Phrases

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