Definition
寿命 (shòumìng) refers to the length of time a person, animal, or thing lives — a lifespan or life expectancy. It's an objective measure (e.g. 寿命很长 'long lifespan'), unlike 一生/一辈子, which describe one's entire life as a lived experience, not a countable duration.
noun
lifespanlife expectancylifetime (of a machine)
Examples
- 寿命。Zhè zhǒng niǎo de shòu mìng kě dá èrshí nián.This kind of bird can live up to twenty years.
- 寿命。Qìchē de shòu mìng gēn bǎoyǎng yǒu hěn dà guānxì.A car's lifespan has a lot to do with maintenance.
- ，寿命。Suízhe yīliáo jìnbù, rén de shòu mìng yuè lái yuè cháng.With medical advances, human life expectancy is getting longer.
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