TongTong
Sign in

境遇 (jìng yù) — circumstance, situation (one's lot in life)

Definition

境遇 refers to one's overall life situation or lot — broader and more fate-like than 情况 (a general 'state of affairs'). It often implies circumstances beyond one's control, close to 处境 but more literary.

noun
circumstancesituation (one's lot in life)

Examples

  • 境遇。
    Tā cóng xiǎo shēng huó zài yí gè pín kùn de jìng yù zhōng.
    He grew up in a poor circumstance.
  • 境遇，。
    Miàn duì bù tóng de jìng yù, wǒ men yào xué huì shì yìng.
    Facing different circumstances, we must learn to adapt.
  • 境遇。
    Tā de jìng yù ràng tā biàn de gèng jiā jiān qiáng.
    Her circumstances made her even stronger.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

境jìngsituation
遇yùencounter

境, one's situation, and 遇, one's encounter, together mean circumstance.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng境jìng
Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Open 境 →

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chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú遇yù
Same sound today

遇 combines 辶, a walking-related part, with 禺, which gives the sound. The 辶 part shows that the meaning involves walking or moving.

Open 遇 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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