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生死存亡 (shēng sǐ cún wáng) — a critical moment of survival or destruction; a make-or-break situation

Definition

Four-character idiom (chéngyǔ) meaning 'life or death, survival or destruction' — a make-or-break moment when the outcome decides whether something continues to exist or is wiped out.

idiom
a critical moment of survival or destructiona make-or-break situation

Examples

  • 生死存亡，。
    Zài zhè ge shēng sǐ cún wáng guān tóu, wǒ men bì xū tuán jié yí zhì.
    At this critical moment of survival, we must unite as one.
  • 生死存亡。
    Gōng sī de shēng sǐ cún wáng jiù qǔ jué yú zhè ge chǎn pǐn néng bù néng chéng gōng.
    The company's survival or destruction depends on whether this product succeeds.
  • 生死存亡。
    Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō wáng cháo de shēng sǐ cún wáng dōu yǔ zhàn zhēng yǒu guān.
    In history, many dynasties' existential crises were related to war.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

生死life and death
生shēnglife死sǐdeath
联合Coordinate
存亡survival and destruction
存cúnsurvive亡wángperish
联合Coordinate

生死 and 存亡 pair opposite states to describe a make-or-break situation.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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
子子zǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái存cún
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

存 pairs 子 with 才, which was used for the sound.

Open 存 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The shape originally marked a knife's cutting edge with a line.

Open 亡 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSafety & Danger

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