九死一生 — “To have a narrow escape from death”
九死一生 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a narrow escape from death”. To survive against overwhelming odds; to experience many close calls and barely make it out alive. Literally, “nine deaths, one life”.
Frequency
九死一生 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 九jiǔ
- 死sǐ
- 一yī
- 生shēng
九死一生 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 九死一生
登山队在暴风雪中经历了九死一生，最终成功返回营地。
The mountaineering team had a narrow escape from death during the snowstorm, eventually returning to the camp successfully.
Origin and Story of 九死一生
During the Warring States period, the Chu poet Qu Yuan was highly valued by King Huai of Chu. He advocated for an alliance with Qi to resist Qin but was dismissed from his post due to conflicts with aristocrats Zi Lan and Jin Shang.
Later, during King Qingxiang of Chu's reign, he was exiled to Bian Du. However, his heart remained with his homeland and its people.
He wrote the poem, "亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。" (My heart's desire remains, though I face nine deaths, I shall not regret it.) This fully demonstrated his unwavering determination.
Idioms Related to 九死一生
More idioms starting with 九
- jiǔ九shì世zhī之chóu仇deep-seated, long-standing hatred
- jiǔ九shì世tóng同jū居nine generations living together
- jiǔ九jiǔ九guī归yī一all things return to one
- jiǔ九jiǔ九guī归yuán原everything boils down to
- jiǔ九wǔ五zhī之wèi位the imperial throne
- jiǔ九wǔ五zhī之zūn尊the emperor's supreme position
- jiǔ九rèn仞yī一kuì篑fail at the last step
- jiǔ九rú儒shí十gài丐Scholars discriminated against, just above beggars
- jiǔ九guān关hǔ虎bào豹ruthless, oppressive, and dangerous powerful officials
- jiǔ九shí十chūn春guāng光the entire spring season
- jiǔ九yuán原zhī之xià下in the realm of the dead
- jiǔ九yuán原kě可zuò作Wish the dead could be brought back to life
Questions about 九死一生
- What does 九死一生 mean?
- 九死一生 (jiǔ sǐ yī shēng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a narrow escape from death”.
- How do you pronounce 九死一生?
- 九死一生 is pronounced jiǔ sǐ yī shēng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 九死一生 literally mean?
- Literally, 九死一生 means “nine deaths, one life”. It is used to mean “to have a narrow escape from death”.
- Where does 九死一生 come from?
- 九死一生 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 九死一生?
- 九：表示极多。形容经历很大危险而幸存。也形容处在生死关头，情况十分危急。