Meaning of 命
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- life
- fate
- order or command
- to assign a name, title etc
How to use 命
命 rarely stands alone in everyday speech except in set phrases like 我的命 or 救命 (jiùmìng, Help). It mostly appears in words such as 生命 (shēngmìng, life), 命运 (mìngyùn, fate) and 命令 (mìnglìng, command). Example: 他救了我的命。(Tā jiù le wǒ de mìng.) He saved my life.
命 (mìng) contains 口 (kǒu, mouth) beside 令 (lìng, to order), so picture a mouth giving an order. A command from above can decide your fate, even your life.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 命 (mìng) with 令 (lìng), which looks like it but has no 口 on the left and a different tone. Also, 命 does not mean daily life or lifestyle; for that use 生活 (shēnghuó).
命 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.
命 mìng · life · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 命.
| 生命 | shēngmìng | life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (CL:條|条[tiao2]) |
| 命运 | mìngyùn | fate; destiny |
| 命令 | mìnglìng | order; command |
| 救命 | jiùmìng | to save sb's life; (interj.) Help! |
| 革命 | gémìng | to withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning); re |
| 性命 | xìngmìng | life |
| 致命 | zhìmìng | fatal; mortal |
| 使命 | shǐmìng | mission; long-term task to which one devotes oneself |
| 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 |
| 要命 | yàomìng | to cause sb's death; extremely; terribly |
| 命名 | mìngmíng | to give a name to; to dub |
| 任命 | rènmìng | to appoint; (job) appointment |
Questions about 命
What does 命 mean?
命 (mìng) means "life; fate" and is used as a noun and verb.
How do you write 命?
命 is made of 1 character: 命 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 命 an HSK word?
Yes. 命 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 生命 and 性命?
生命 (shēngmìng) is life in a general or scientific sense, as in 生命很宝贵 (life is precious). 性命 (xìngmìng) means a person's own life, usually when it is at risk, as in 保住性命 (to save one's life).
How is 命 used to mean naming something?
In formal words like 命名 (mìngmíng, to name) and 任命 (rènmìng, to appoint), 命 means to assign a name or title. Example: 这颗星以他的名字命名。(Zhè kē xīng yǐ tā de míngzi mìngmíng.) This star was named after him.