Definition
寻死 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to attempt suicide' or 'to commit suicide'. It literally breaks down as 'seek death'. Because it's a verb-object structure, you can insert elements between the two syllables: 寻过死 (has attempted suicide), 寻什么死 (why kill yourself?). The word carries strong emotional weight and should be used with care. Note: the correct pronunciation is xún sǐ, not xín (the source pinyin is a typo).
v.o.
to attempt suicideto commit suicide
Examples
- ，。Tā céngjīng xún guò sǐ, dàn hòulái bèi jiù le.He once attempted suicide, but was later saved.
- 寻死。Tā yīnwèi shīliàn ér xiǎng yào xín.She wanted to commit suicide because of a broken heart.
- 寻死。Nà bù diànyǐng jiǎng de shì yí gè xín de gùshì.That movie tells a story about suicide.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.