Meaning of 救命
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to save sb's life
- (interj.) Help!
- Save me!
How to use 救命
As a verb phrase it means to save someone's life, and on its own it works as a cry for help. People often use it jokingly when something is overwhelming. Example: 救命啊，有人掉进水里了。(Jiùmìng a, yǒu rén diào jìn shuǐ lǐ le.) Help, someone fell into the water.
救命 is two plain parts: 救 (jiù) means to save or rescue, and 命 (mìng) means life, the same 命 you see in 生命 (shēngmìng). Put them together and you get "save a life," which is also what you shout when you need help.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 救 (jiù) with 求 (qiú, to ask for), since 救 contains 求 on the left. Saying 求命 is not a word, so remember the extra 攵 part on the right for "save."
救命 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.
救 jiù · to save · 11 strokes
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命 mìng · life · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 救命.
| 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 |
| 抢救 | qiǎngjiù | to rescue |
| 救灾 | jiùzāi | to relieve disaster; to help disaster victims |
| 救援 | jiùyuán | to save; to support |
| 急救 | jíjiù | to give emergency treatment; first aid |
| 救助 | jiùzhù | to help sb in trouble; aid |
| 拯救 | zhěngjiù | to save; to rescue |
| 革命 | gémìng | to withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning); re |
| 救护车 | jiùhùchē | ambulance |
| 性命 | xìngmìng | life |
Questions about 救命
What does 救命 mean?
救命 (jiùmìng) means "to save sb's life; (interj.) Help!".
How do you write 救命?
救命 is made of 2 characters: 救 (11 strokes), 命 (8 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 救命 an HSK word?
Yes. 救命 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 救命 and 抢救?
救命 is general and can be a shout for help. 抢救 (qiǎngjiù) means an urgent rescue, often emergency medical treatment, as in 医生正在抢救病人 (the doctor is giving the patient emergency treatment).
Can 救命 be used casually, not in real danger?
Yes. People say 救命 as an exaggerated complaint, like when there is too much homework or something is very embarrassing. The phrase 救命恩人 (jiùmìng ēnrén) means someone who saved your life, and it is also used half-jokingly for someone who helped a lot.