命 meaning and stroke order
Life; fate; order or command
How to write 命, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 命
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- life
- fate
- order or command
- to assign a name, title etc
How 命 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An order 令 given by mouth 口.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 命
命 (mìng) is 令 (lìng, an order) wrapped around 口 (kǒu, mouth): an order spoken by mouth. Think of fate as the order given to your life, the command you cannot argue with.
命 rarely stands alone in modern speech and usually appears in words like 生命 (shēngmìng, life), 命运 (mìngyùn, fate), and 命令 (mìnglìng, order). On its own it often means a person's life, as in 救命 (jiùmìng, Help) or this sentence: 他救了我的命。(Tā jiù le wǒ de mìng.) He saved my life.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 命 (mìng) with 令 (lìng) because they share the same top. 命 has an extra 口 on the lower left, and the right side stretches down beside it. Also keep the fourth tone in mìng; do not let it drift to the second tone of míng (名, name).
Common words with 命
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 生命 | shēngmìng | life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2]) | HSK 3 |
| 命运 | mìngyùn | fate; destiny | HSK 3 |
| 命令 | mìnglìng | order; command | HSK 5 |
| 救命 | jiùmìng | to save sb's life; (interj.) Help! | HSK 6 |
| 革命 | gémìng | to withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning); re | HSK 7-9 |
| 性命 | xìngmìng | life | HSK 7-9 |
| 致命 | zhìmìng | fatal; mortal | HSK 7-9 |
| 使命 | shǐmìng | mission; long-term task to which one devotes oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 拼命 | pīnmìng | to do one's utmost; with all one's might; at all costs; (to work or fight) as if one's lif | HSK 7-9 |
| 要命 | yàomìng | to cause sb's death; extremely; terribly | HSK 7-9 |
| 命名 | mìngmíng | to give a name to; to dub | HSK 7-9 |
| 任命 | rènmìng | to appoint; (job) appointment | HSK 7-9 |
| 寿命 | shòumìng | life span; life expectancy | HSK 7-9 |
| 相依为命 | xiāngyī-wéimìng | mutually dependent for life (idiom); to rely upon one another for survival; interdependent | HSK 7-9 |
命 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 命
How many strokes are in 命?
命 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 命 mean?
命 (mìng) means life; fate; order or command. A common word with it is 生命 (shēngmìng), meaning "life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2])".
How do you pronounce 命?
命 is pronounced mìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 命?
The radical of 命 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 命 under this radical.
Is 命 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 命 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 生命 and 性命?
生命 (shēngmìng) is the general word for life, used for living things and in abstract or scientific contexts. 性命 (xìngmìng) refers to an individual's life when it is at risk, as in 保住性命 (bǎozhù xìngmìng, to save one's life).
How is 命 used to mean naming something?
In the word 命名 (mìngmíng), 命 means to assign a name or title. For example, 用他的名字命名 (yòng tā de míngzi mìngmíng) means to name something after him.