Meaning of 危机
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- crisis
How to use 危机
危机 is a formal noun used for serious situations in economics, politics, health, or relationships. It often follows a topic word, as in 经济危机 (jīngjì wēijī, economic crisis) or 能源危机 (néngyuán wēijī, energy crisis). Example: 公司现在面临一场危机。(Gōngsī xiànzài miànlín yì chǎng wēijī.) The company is now facing a crisis.
危机 (wēijī) joins 危 (wēi, danger) with 机 (jī), the same 机 you see in 机会 (jīhuì, opportunity). A crisis is a moment of danger that is also a turning point.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 危机 for any small problem, but it is a strong word for serious situations. For everyday trouble, use 问题 (wèntí) or 麻烦 (máfan). Also note both syllables are first tone: wēijī, not wéijī.
危机 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
危 wēi · dangerous · 6 strokes
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机 jī · desk · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 危机.
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) |
Questions about 危机
What does 危机 mean?
危机 (wēijī) means "crisis" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 危机?
危机 is made of 2 characters: 危 (6 strokes), 机 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 危机 an HSK word?
Yes. 危机 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 危机 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 危机 is written 危機.
Does 危机 really mean danger plus opportunity?
This is a popular saying, but in the word 危机, 机 is better understood as a critical moment or turning point. It does not literally mean opportunity here. Chinese speakers do sometimes play on the idea with 危中有机 (wēi zhōng yǒu jī), meaning there is opportunity within danger.
What measure word and verbs go with 危机?
The common measure word is 场 (chǎng), as in 一场危机. Typical verbs include 面临 (miànlín, to face), 出现 (chūxiàn, to appear), 度过 (dùguò, to get through), and 解决 (jiějué, to resolve).