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没命 (méi mìng) — (verb) to lose one's life; to die; (verb) to be reckless; to work desperately (often in 没命地 + V)

Definition

没命 (méi mìng) literally 'lose one's life', used both for dying and as 没命地 + V meaning 'desperately / recklessly'. Not a near-synonym of 死 — it carries a sense of losing something precious or going all-out.

verb
to lose one's lifeto dieto be recklessto work desperately (often in 没命地 + V)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zài nà cì shì gù zhōng méi le yì tiáo mìng.
    He lost his life in that accident.
  • 没命。
    Tā chà diǎn méi mìng.
    He almost died.
  • 没命。
    Tā gōng zuò qǐ lái jiù méi mìng.
    Once he starts working, he works like crazy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

没méilose
命mìnglife

没 means to lose, and 命 is life, so the combination describes losing one's life or acting desperately.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬛
𠬛𠬛沒mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.

Open 没 →

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 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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