致死 (zhì sǐ) — to cause death; to be lethal | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

致死 (zhì sǐ) is a formal, written verb meaning 'cause death / be lethal' — used in news, medical, and legal contexts, not everyday speech. Typical in fixed phrases like 致命 / 致死量 / 车祸致死.

verb

to cause deathto be lethal

Examples

，致死。
Zhè zhǒng bìng rú guǒ bù jí shí zhì liáo, kě néng zhì sǐ.
This disease can cause death if not treated in time.
，。
Chē huò zhì sān rén sǐ wáng, liǎng rén shòu shāng.
The car accident caused three deaths and two injuries.
致死。
Yī shēng què rèn zhè zhǒng yào wù bú huì zhí jiē zhì sǐ.
The doctor confirmed that this medication will not directly cause death.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

“致” (cause) and “死” (death) combine to mean cause death.

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.

至攵致

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

至

至zhì致zhì

Same sound today

致 pairs 至, used for its sound, with 攵, written in full as 攴.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

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.

Appears in

Illness & Symptoms Safety & Danger

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