Definition
听命 is a separable verb-object compound (离合词) with two main uses. In the sense of 'follow orders', you can insert a modifier between the two syllables, e.g., 听他的命 ('follow his orders'). In the sense of 'be resigned to one's fate', it appears as a single unit meaning 'let fate decide' — often used in phrases like 听天由命 ('resign oneself to providence'). Context tells you which meaning is intended.
v.o.
to obey ordersto follow commandsto be resigned to one's fateto let fate take its course
Examples
- 听命。Tā tīng mìng yú shàngjí de ānpái.He follows his superiors' arrangements.
- ，听命。Xiànzài zhǐ néng tīng tiān yóu mìng le, wǒmen tīng mìng ba.We have no choice but to trust to fate now — let fate take its course.
- ，。Tā zhǐ tīng lǎobǎn de mìng, biérén shuō shénme dōu méi yòng.He only follows his boss's orders; nothing anyone else says matters.
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