殒命 (yǔn mìng) — to die (formal, used in tragic or violent contexts)

Definition

A formal, literary verb meaning 'to perish' — used for tragic or violent death (battle, disaster), not natural passing. Contrast with everyday 死.

verb
to die (formal, used in tragic or violent contexts)

Examples

  • ，殒命。
    Zài nà chǎng zhàn dòu zhōng, xǔ duō shì bīng bú xìng yǔn mìng.
    Many soldiers tragically died in that battle.
  • 殒命，。
    Zhè wèi yīng xióng zuì zhōng yǔn mìng, dàn tā de jīng shén yǒng yuǎn bèi jì zhù.
    This hero ultimately died, but his spirit will always be remembered.
  • ，殒命。
    Yóu yú shòu shāng tài zhòng, tā zuì zhōng yǔn mìng le.
    Because his injuries were too serious, he eventually died.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

殒yǔnperish
命mìnglife

殒 means perish and 命 means life, together meaning to lose one's life.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 殒 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng命mìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Open 命 →

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