Definition
鬼门关 literally means 'gate of hell' — a gate in traditional Chinese folklore that separates the world of the living from the dead. In everyday speech, it is used as a metaphor for a dangerous or life-threatening situation (e.g., a critical illness, a risky endeavor). You'll often hear it in the phrase 闯鬼门关 ('pass through the gate of hell'), meaning to survive a brush with death.
n.
(literally) gate of hell (in Chinese mythology)(figurative) extremely dangerous situationa brush with death
Examples
- ，鬼门关。Tā huàn le zhòng bìng, chàdiǎnr guò le guǐ mén guān.He fell seriously ill and nearly passed through the gate of hell.
- 鬼门关。Nà cì shǒushù jiù xiàng shì chuǎng le yí cì guǐ mén guān.That surgery was like passing through the gate of hell.
- ，鬼门关。Zhè duàn shān lù xiǎnjùn, bèi chēng wéi dāngdì de guǐ mén guān.This stretch of mountain road is treacherous and is called the local gate of hell.
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