Meaning
life; fate
Chinese: 生命、命运，也表示命令。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “ming” becomes a different word in each tone. 命 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 生命shēng mìnglife (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature (
- 命运mìng yùnfate; destiny
- 命令mìng lìngorder; command
- 革命gé mìngto withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning); revolution; revolutionary; to revolt (against sb or sth)
- 寿命shòu mìnglife span; life expectancy; lifetime (of a machine)
Example Sentence
医生救了他的命。Yī shēng jiù le tā de mìng.The doctor saved his life.
医生Yī shēngdoctor救jiùto save了le(completed action)他tāhe的deof命mìnglife。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
亼 (a gathering) over 口 (mouth) and 卩 (a kneeling person): an order spoken from above to one who kneels — ‘an order, command; to assign; life; fate, destiny’ (生命, 命令, 命运).
A way to remember it
An order spoken from above — a command; and ‘life, fate’.